Small farmers

Three quarters of the world’s 1.4 billion people living in poverty suffer from extreme poverty and live in rural areas. The agricultural sector and the rural economy are key  in supporting livelihoods during times of food security crises, however this is not properly reflected in aid flows. While agriculture accounts for a third of the national income in countries in protracted crisis, the sector receives only 4 percent of humanitarian aid and 3 percent of development aid.

Hunger prevention solutions must ensure that small farmers at the forefront. We must invest in targeted solutions to help people feed themselves. Simply  focusing and reacting to the immediate humanitarian needs of today,does not ensure that people will have the means to feed themselves tomorrow.

Small farmers are essential to promoting wider economic growth in countries affected by food security. Only by investing in small farmers will we effectively invest in a more prosperous future; a future where small farmers will be able to feed themselves, access markets and catalyze economic growth in poor rural areas. At WCK, we believe that it’s time to ask how agricultural research for development can do more to  fight effectively against hunger. Our ideas include:

• Develop strategies to add value to small farmers’ final marketable product.
• Promote supply contracts with local farmers and food processors.
• Promote social business among small farmers

Do you also think that investing in small farmers is the solution to ending hunger? Please share your ideas with us:

[gravityform id=8 title=false description=false]