Investing in small-scale agriculture is one of the best ways to ensure rural people in developing countries can feed their families and move out of poverty.
Agriculture contributes to economic growth, better nutrition and improved lives for women and children.
This is not surprising, considering that six out of seven people who live in rural areas of developing countries make their living from agriculture.
However, many of these farmers aren’t making enough money to feed themselves and their families. Small-scale farmers, with five acres of land or less, make up more than half of the food insecure people in the world.
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They struggle because of depleted soil, uncertain climate, poor access to markets and a lack of access to farm extension and necessary inputs.
Many of these problems can be overcome with appropriate investments from both the public and private sectors.
Just as Canadian farmers have benefitted from publicly supported agricultural extension, crop insurance and research, so too will small-scale farmers in developing countries.
However, poor countries often lack revenue to invest properly in agriculture, and private companies, while increasing their investment in agriculture in developing countries, often have little interest in the poorest small-scale farmers.
There is a need for aid donors, such as Canada, to step up.
Canada got this message loud and clear in 2007-08 in the aftermath of the global food and economic crisis. The country became a global leader in supporting agricultural development from 2008-11.
However, Canada’s aid for agriculture has fallen by 30 percent since 2011.
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank has more than 30 years of experience working with small-scale farmers in dozens of countries. We have seen ample evidence that working with farmers to improve their farms has multiple benefits.
In Zimbabwe, we have seen that conservation agriculture, with training provided by local government or non-governmental organizations, enabled farmers to produce healthy crops even under low and erratic rainfall.
In Bangladesh, we have seen that increased and diversified food production combined with cooking classes for women can significantly improve family nutrition.
In Zambia, we have seen how new farming techniques can increase incomes and transform lives. The children who were once turned away from school for lack of school fees are back in the classroom.
This is why the foodgrains bank is urging the Canadian government to restore its aid for agriculture to at least $450 million per year, which was its average level between 2008 and 2011.
There is a strong economic argument for investment in agriculture. Ample evidence shows that economic growth stemming from agriculture is at least twice as likely to reduce poverty as growth from other industries.
It can also be the engine for country-wide economic growth.
Targeted investments in agriculture can also improve nutrition. While at least 800 million people are food insecure, many more — between two and three billion — are malnourished, lacking the proper range of nutrients to live healthy lives. This is debilitating both economically and socially.
Support for agriculture gives poor farmers the opportunity to take nutrition into their own hands. They will be able to provide nutritious, diversified diets for their families and sell the excess in local markets, which leads to healthier and more prosperous families and communities.
Farmers everywhere want control over their own futures. Good investments in agriculture, including from Canada, will enable small-scale farmers to do just that.
Carol Thiessen is a senior policy adviser with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
