The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development jointly released a study on small farmers, food security and the environment.
The United Nations Environment Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development jointly issued a report entitled "Small Farmers, Food Security and Environmental Issues ( Smallholders, food security, and the environment), calling on countries to support the development of small farmers, so that they can take more important responsibilities in food production and natural resource management, and help the world's 1 billion poor out of poverty.
The report pointed out that small-scale farmers supply more than 80% of the food in developing countries and make a huge contribution to ensuring food security and poverty reduction. The development of small-scale agricultural economies has been hampered by increasing land fragmentation, reduced investment and the neglect of small-scale agricultural economies in economic development policies. The overuse of natural resources and pollution from agricultural production undermine the ecological basis of the global food system, exacerbate land degradation and reduce the capacity of ecosystems for sustainable production, which not only threatens food security, but also adversely affects poverty reduction. In this regard, the report emphasizes that the development of small farmers depends on well-functioning ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural intensification is the right way to improve food security, protect the environment and reduce poverty. This approach protects the natural resources and ecosystems on which small-scale farmers depend, and ensures food security and rural development.
The report recommends that countries promote the development of sustainable agriculture and reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment; encourage countries to eliminate policy barriers and rely on market mechanisms to ensure that small farmers continue to invest in production, eliminate fertilizer subsidies, and instead subsidize projects related to soil and water conservation and green certification, etc.; Broaden the access to information for small farmers, such as the establishment of farmers' field schools, and the popularization of rural broadcasting and mobile communication equipment. Small farmers are an important feature of China's rural areas. In order to maintain the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, the government should formulate sustainable agricultural intensive management development planning and support policies to create a good environment for small farmers' production and operation. Introduce, demonstrate, promote and apply practical technologies for sustainable agricultural production, strengthen technical training for small farmers, and enhance the capacity building of small farmers.
http://www.ifad.org/climate/resources/smallholders_report.pdf
(Responsible editor: Shixin)