THE SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER
Smallholder farmers at the heart of innovation design
THE SUSTAINABLE SMALLHOLDER
Smallholder farmers at the heart of innovation design
Smallholder sustainability is a never ending transition journey
We believe in a journey towards sustainability where so-called ‘conventional’ products and practices are integrated smartly with regenerative and other sustainable farming practices. A black and white mindset is not helpful – regenerative vs. conventional; good vs. bad; ‘synthetic’ vs. ‘organic’.
It is not about completely replacing existing farming methods. Rather, finding the sweet spot between new and conventional concepts, new and ancestral knowledge, increasing yields as well as farmers’ profits, the inclusion of women and youth, all while improving soil health, fertility, and responsible water use.
These concepts have to be fine-tuned in co-creation with smallholder farmer communities and tested in their fields, allowing smallholders to take the lead on the development of tailored sustainable solutions and to feel more empowered in how they spend their money and farm their fields, regeneratively.
What is a smallholder farmer ?
Four of the biggest challenges of the 21st century involve food. The need to nearly double food production by 2050, to adapt and build resilience to a challenging climate, to simultaneously achieve a substantial reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gases, and to achieve an equitable food system for all.
Globally, 78% of the world’s poorest people remain reliant on agriculture, 33% of the world’s soils are degraded and agriculture contributes to about a quarter of global climate emissions. An estimated 100 million smallholder farmers (out of 520M globally) reside in ASEAN countries. These small-scale producers dominate the region’s agricultural sector, leading the production of key commodities e.g. palm oil and coffee, as well as staple crops such as rice and corn.
As defined by IFAD smallholder farmers are farmers that farm less than 2 ha of land, farm 11% of the world's arable land and produce 1/3rd of the worlds food.
3.2 bn people living in rural areas in developing countries depend on smallholder’s food...
63% of people living in poverty work in agriculture and most of them in smallholder farms...
IFAD estimates smallholders earn ~6 cents for every dollar of food produced...
SHFs are highly vulnerable to climate change
Yet they receive less then 2% of climate finance
What is a sustainable smallholder ?
We believe a sustainable smallholder lives and works in an ecosystem which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
A sustainable smallholder lives and works in a community where they farm land with vibrant soil health, they own animals to produce manure and income diversification; they have transparent access to markets and information.
A sustainable smallholder farmer does not live in a poverty cycle and besides feeding the family with nutritious food, they can afford a life with proper education and access to affordable health care.
The overall community mindset is one where nature is leveraged to increase crop yields and quality, and where climate resiliency and economic prosperity are natural outcomes.
Smallholder Facts
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