Nonprofit Solidaridad has perhaps in a first of its kind exercise compiled the perspectives and priorities of small-scale farmers, covering 10,000 of them in 18 countries and across eight commodities, including cotton.
- The Small Farmer Atlas, a comprehensive satisfaction survey launched in Pune, India, details out their inputs on issues ranging from prosperity and income, to sustainability and bargaining power and land use.
- The first edition of the report, presented to a small-scale farmer in Pune, India, demonstrates the need for a re-evaluation of how trade is conducted.
Issues at Hand: Over half of farmers surveyed, feel they lack access to adequate information, markets and financing.
- For most farmers, income is insufficient for coping with climate shocks and price volatility.
- Climate-related issues are farmers’ biggest concern.
- When it comes to cotton, millions of farming families—between 24 million and 32 million—grow cotton on small plots of less than 2ha.
- 24 million small-scale farmers account for 75% of the global production of cotton.
- Climate change threatens the viability of this cash crop and the families’ livelihoods.
It illustrates the need for two key interventions:
- Profit-sharing across agricultural value chains that directly benefit farmers, and improve their business case so they can invest in their farms and access finance.
- The need for systemic change that prioritses the perceptions of small-scale farmers and grounds interventions in their needs.
THE CONTEXT: Small-scale farms are critical to the future of the planet. The story of agriculture is largely one of small farms. They have great potential to contribute to climate solutions, yet they are among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events. They produce a significant proportion of the world’s food, yet many are food insecure. Small farmers represent a sector that’s ripe for growth and ready for investment, yet finance is hard to come by.
- The importance of small-scale farming cannot be understated. Small-scale operations account for 90% of the world’s 570 million farms. Yet how they are defined often remains vague and inconsistent. Small-scale farmers are a large and diverse group. How we define them varies by product or country, land size or access to market.
- Small-scale operations are responsible for a notable share of the world’s food, feed, fibre, and other products. Despite being a vital cog in the global food system, the majority of small-scale farmers remain mired in poverty, struggling to eke out a living from their land.
- Even for their prominence, small-scale farmers are often sidelined in sustainability debates. It is time for this to change.
- A sustainable future for our planet hinges on understanding their needs and addressing their concerns. This Small Farmer Atlas represents a first effort to learn from their perspectives on sustainability.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Farming is the most important job in the world. They are the original influencers shaping our daily diets. The opinions and views of farmers matter. We invite companies and governments to take this to the next level and work to truly involve farmers in the design of policies and sourcing practices.
— Jeroen Douglas
Executive Director
Solidaridad Network
Economically, things have improved a lot. We have increased our incomes, sent our children to school, improved our houses, … and even managed to save some money. But in the last 10 years, farming has become increasingly difficult.
— Edwin Nunjar Peña
Banana farmer
Peru
As farmers, we are entirely dependent on nature. Nature determines when I sow and when I harvest. It is important that we can cultivate our crops with respect for nature. Not only because all agriculture is based on nature, but also because it results in better yields.
— Ramesh Rajput
Soybean farmer
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
