Africa's smallholder farmers
Up till now smallholder farmers have not been given the support they need to flourish. Donors and African governments have favoured giving support to those groups and areas which in the short term are most likely to produce rapid yield increases. As a result, the only support available to many remote, marginal or disadvantaged farmers is humanitarian aid if and when they face a food crisis. However the combination of persistent chronic hunger and poverty in most low-income countries, the realisation that poor farmers will be disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, and the spike in global food prices in 2008 have motivated donors to ratchet up their political and financial commitments to smallholder farming, especially in Africa. On the back of these developments a new report was launched on July 7th by the African Smallholder Farmers’ Group (ASFG), of which Find Your Feet is a member. The report focuses attention on ways to increase food security in Africa by improving the livelihoods of Africa’s largely neglected smallholder farmers.
As Dan Taylor stressed at the launch, governments should therefore not only focus on providing seed, but also on addressing policy issues, giving farmers a voice, strengthening organisational capacity, farmer support and extension. This is exemplified by our work with lead farmers in Malawi, which engenders a spirit of self confidence, self-reliance and self determination, thereby unlocking the latent capacities of small-scale farmers. Download a copy of the report. The ASFG is a network of international NGOs who are committed to creating an enabling environment for marginalised farmers across Africa. Action Aid, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Farm Africa, Find Your Feet, Practical Action, Self Help Africa and Send a Cow are all members of the ASFG.
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“With the new UK Government’s publicly stated commitment to international development we are pleased to release a report that provides a timely reminder of the critical role of agriculture in reducing poverty and hunger, and the importance of listening to the voices of African smallholder farmers.” Dr Dan Taylor, Director, Find Your Feet.
According to the report policies need to pay stronger attention to the crucial role that self-mobilisation can play in fostering agricultural development. Farmer and community organisations can act as a vehicle in disseminating new technologies, knowledge and resources, and they can also be used as a springboard for other community development activities.