One third of the food consumed globally is produced by small-scale farms. Yet they receive less than 2% of all global funds earmarked for the fight against climate change. At least that is the starting point of a report by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) released on Tuesday. Its Deputy Vice-President, Jyotsna Puri, urges countries participating in COP26 to do better for smaller farmers.
In interview with The duty, Mme Puri, one of the thinking heads of this United Nations financial institution, does not lack words to underline the importance of the contribution of small agricultural producers to the world food chain. They are part of the solution to reforming food systems, controlling greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protecting biodiversity, as they typically grow multiple plant species.
In return, “they are much more vulnerable” to climate shocks, she emphasizes: “Vulnerability is a function of poverty. It is because they are poor that these small farmers do not have access to more resistant varieties or solutions to diversify their crops. They don’t have easy access to loans or crop insurance either, ”illustrates the one who is also responsible for strategy and knowledge at IFAD.
On the one hand, these farmers left to their own devices are those who are most at risk of suffering from the climate crisis, “in their very womb”, says Mr.me Puri, since their agriculture is directly linked to the calorie intake of their family. They are also those who have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions, a paradox which is not exclusive to this sector.
The African continent
The just published IFAD report focuses more specifically on the south and east of the African continent, where most agricultural producers do not have an irrigation system. They can only rely on weather conditions to grow their own food and, if lucky, sell the surplus in local markets.
These producers, among others, of legumes, cassava, peanuts, millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes and wheat must deal with an increasingly erratic rainfall pattern, longer periods of drought or sometimes more intense flooding. IFAD has calculated that for every 1 ° C increase in global temperature, the yield of cereal crops decreases by about 5%.
Call for support
The investments in this fund are financed by the international community: “At the farmer level, they must be able to do their own research and development to use, for example, more resistant or faster maturing species,” the report writes. .
Jyotsna Puri also sees it as a call for balance: “They are already guarantors of nature-based solutions traditionally, but they do not receive incentives. “They thus render” ecological services “that it would be possible to place at the heart of new economic tools:” We must begin to find how to include hidden costs, such as waste, in consumer prices in order to change markets. “, She suggests in particular.
Vulnerability is a function of poverty. It is because they are poor that small farmers do not have access to more resistant varieties or solutions to diversify their crops.
Several large agribusiness companies are setting up shop in developing countries and creating new demand for cereals or grains that are not grown locally. In Kenya, for example, several traditional crops have been replaced by maize. “We know, however, that monocultures are less resilient than multiple cultures”, deplores Mr.me Puri.
It’s hard to resist the cash these big companies are offering to buy whole crops. Here again, there is no shortage of ideas: we need more rural infrastructure, more accessible markets for local producers, weather insurance, more varied seeds, etc.
It will take money for these achievements. IFAD therefore goes to COP26 with several requests.
The Assistant Vice-President insists on the fact that adaptation measures, such as support for these producers, are much less funded than those aimed at reducing GHG emissions: “For every new dollar raised in financing for adaptation , there is $ 18 that is invested in mitigation. “
Reducing GHGs is obviously a good idea, she continues, but it is still necessary that people today survive until the horizon of these reductions. “Until we see a strong and definitive commitment to adaptation, I cannot call COP26 a success. “