New Report Emphasizes the Importance of Small Farmers

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The new report, called ‘Fertile Ground’ can be accessed at:
www.progressio.org.uk/files/98468/FileName/Fertile_Ground_16nov2009.pdf

Progressio is an international charitable organization which helps poor communities to solve their own problems with support from skilled workers. The new report, which is informed by Progressio’s work with small-scale farmers in countries like Malawi and Ecuador, states that for centuries small-scale farmers have provided a food security buffer against outside shocks, supplying poor communities with local food at local prices. By growing produce in harmony with the environment – or ’agroecologically’ – farmers are also able to better protect their land and crops from erratic weather linked to climate change, the report notes. It calls for urgent action by governments and policy-makers to ensure these practices continue, through more investment and support for small-scale farmers through international aid and national budgets, and a greater voice for small-scale farmers in national and global decision-making processes which affect the way they live and work.

Petra Kjell concludes: ”Small-scale farmers make a huge contribution to feeding our planet. Yet they have been hopelessly under-supported for decades. Unless they are now prioritised by governments, future food crises will be much worse, with dire consequences for millions of people. We must act now to make sure small-scale farmers receive the support they so desperately need.”

To download a full copy of the report go to: www.progressio.org.uk/files/98468/FileName/Fertile_Ground_16nov2009.pdf