Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

1. Under what conditions can agriculture succeed in lifting people out of poverty? particularly those households with limited access to productive resources

Agriculture can succeed in lifting people out of poverty through contract farming,

1. Contract farming: There are many constraints facing small farmers in developing countries including Nigeria that limit their potential to increase productivity and income. First, they lack information about production methods and market opportunities, particularly for crops that they do not normally grow. Second, even with sufficient information about profitable investments, small farmers often lack the necessary financial reserves.  Access to credit is limited by the lack of collateral and/or by the high interest rates demanded. Third, small farmers operating near subsistence are more risk averse than large farmers. They generally prefer to assure themselves a minimum supply of food before expanding commercial production for an uncertain market. (Bijman,2008).

One institutional form which deals with many of these constraints in an integrated manner is the  contract farming (Minot, 1986). It constitutes a potential way of overcoming market imperfections, minimizing transaction costs and gaining market access by smallholder farmers.

Contract farming as defined by Will (2013) is a forward agreements specifying the obligations of farmers and buyers as partners in business, specifying farmers’ (sellers’) legal obligation to supply the volumes and qualities as specified, and the buyers’ (processors’/ traders’) obligation to off-take the goods and release the payments as agreed and buyers providing embedded services such as: upfront delivery of inputs (e.g. seeds, fertilizers, plant protection products)); pre-financing of input delivery on credit and other non-financial services (e.g. extension, training, transport and logistics)

In many developing economies, contract farming has been recognized by both policy makers and analysts as a new development model or paradigm for linking small-holders to markets. (ActionAid, 2015). It has become an attractive policy instrument to assist small farmers to gain access to markets, information, credits, and necessary services to manage their risk.(Minot, 1986). Nigeria is one of the developing countries where contract farming practices has been gaining importance, as agriculture remains critical economic sector in terms of its contribution to the economy and employment opportunities. The agricultural sector in Nigeria is dominated by smallholder farmers who operate at the subsistence level with minimal level of commercialization while producers with larger landholdings may have access to capital, marketing information and institutional support.

In this view, contract farming can help farmers move from subsistence production of low-value staple foods to commercial production of higher-value crops, allowing them access to the wider economy and raising their income (Eaton and Shepherd 2001).

2. What is the role of ensuring more sustainable natural resources management in supporting the eradication of poverty?

Poverty is more dominant in rural area where a larger proportion of population depends on natural resource such as land, water, forest and livestock for their livelihood. Unproductive use of resources has led to resource degradation which appeared to be major cause of poverty. Sustainable natural resource mgt leads to growth of food and also enhanced income of poor. Income is one of the most important routes to exit from poverty

3. Can those without the opportunities to pursue agricultural production and to access resources such as fish, livestock, forest, find pathways out of extreme poverty through these sectors?

The answer is yes. They can find pathways out of extreme poverty through participation in agricultural value chain. An agricultural value chain is a way of describing the different ‘links’ required to take a product from the farm to the end consumer

A basic agricultural value chain involves a Production – Distribution – consumption schema

Production is concerned with producing agricultural produce which may be  crop, fish, livestock or forest by farmers with adequate access to productive resources.

Distribution is concerned with many activities including: gathering, transporting, sorting, processing, packaging, preserving wholesaling and retailing among others before the product finally gets to the user.

Those without access to productive resources can become  actors in any of the distribution schema and make substantial income

4. What set of policies are necessary to address issues connecting food security and extreme poverty eradication

Education reform which aims at enhancing skill acquisition of rural dwellers will lead to adoption of improved technology and enhance all farm employment

1. Monitoring of special poverty eradication intervention  programmes to ensure full implementation
2. Protection of natural resource management though integration of activities of ministries such as agriculture, health, environment and education.
3. Promotion of cash crops in the primary sector
4. Adoption of integrated farming system (agro forestry with animal rearing))
5. Can you share any examples of experience that succeeded in reducing (or eradicating) extreme poverty through an agricultural pathways 

Out- grower – Scheme organized by AMO a poultry industry in Nigeria. The scheme is centered on broiler production and has many registered farmers. AMO supplies  day old chicks , feeds and other supports such as equipment,  drugs and vaccines and extension education to interested members who will rear the birds for six or seven months and then return them to the company. The birds will then be weighed in kg and the farmer will be paid according to the agreement made. The group has made millionaires out of many poor farming households  in Nigeria including; the transporters, the distributors of the chicks, people working in the feeds, drugs and vaccines  sections of the industry among others.

In Uganda's context, there is inadequate arable land characterized by fragmentation and over-cultivation without fallowing; this has resulted into loss of soil fertility leading to low crop yields. Low crop yield has left most of the households food insecure and malnourished. The promising way how soil fertility is being improved is by employing the use of inorganic fertilizers but this is still a problem to an ordinary poor farmers because fertilizers are expensive.

Therefore, there is a need for farmers' support through training about the preparation and use of locally made agricultural inputs; like organic fertilizers and pesticides to make such inputs cheap and easily accessible to even a poor a farmers. Access to cheap and locally made fertilizers will attract more poor farmers into agriculture and consequently more food shall be availed on the table.

Thank you

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Kind Regards.

Rauben Kazungu

Traditionally the very poor are very reliant on the public sector for free handouts, whether its training, inputs or cash based. In turn governments prefer grant schemes and the cycle of dependency is continuous, leaving no attention span for incubation and development of the private sector. In raising families out of rural poverty like a child the marriage roles of the public and private sector in a public and private partnership (PPP) can bring about fruitful progress as the risks are divided equally and tradeoffs can turn into trade benefits. the private sector with the resources in land rights and machinery can provide employment opportunities in contract farming for the rural poor. the public sector can come in as the enforcer and regulator, with international organizations facilitating the engagement with knowledge sharing and technical expertise. as far as I understand developing countries are looking to international organizations to play as the matchmaker for such grant schemes, and although this is not our traditional way we do things, we can certainly work as the vantage point in building the bridges with key partners, the donors and food industry players, at least in dialogue to the same table and letting the group collectively agree on the path to move forward. I say food industry players because it is in this form where all people agree we can comply to fulfill our first right: the right to eat. In emerging markets where many ruralfolk are first entering an urban setting, the familiar forms of food consumption from home unites the masses and brings a spoonful of comfort. for example in Nairobi, the ethnic diversity in the city provides women homemakers income opportunities to in food catering services to office workers with particular ethnic dishes from home. Agri-food industries offer a holistic solution to eradicating poverty, increasing food and nutrition security, income generation and even to an extent, natural-resource management. Perhaps this extent can be maximized when the marriage of conservation agriculture and agriculture management also eventually becomes one.    

Dear Moderator,

Agriculture would be the best avenue for the poorest of the poor to eradicate poverty in their households. Unfortunately, if we consider some factors of production that is; land, labour, capital and technology; they only have manual labour available. Most of them are landless, capital is not easily accessible because they lack security to offer to fellow farmers or financial institutions. Technology like improved seed, equipment, agro-inputs and even extension workers require finances.

If we are to support the poorest of the poor, they could be trained in activities that provide labour in form of casual or full-time employment in the agricultural sector; hence get income for food security and improving their livelihood. For example;

1. They can be trained to be sprayers in vegetable production, manage oxen in ploughing and provide labour during shelling of maize or groundnuts by managing shellers on behalf of the owners.
2. They can be trained to be artisans that repair ox-ploughs, cutting blades in shellers, repair maize and rice mills, repair knapsack sprayers and any other equipment/machine used in agricultural production.
3. They could be trained to construct the maize cribs, granaries, water reservoirs and other farm structures. The suggestions are tedious work which involve the men (youth and adults), thus leaving out the women unfortunately. If someone is involved in spraying, for each knapsack he gets Ugx3,000 (approx. $0.8) so if he sprays 1 acre that requires 12 knapsacks, he gets Ugx 36,000 (approx $10) in a day. If he gets casual work in 10 days during a month, he would be getting Ugx 360,000 ($100) in a month.

Note: Those jobs are done by the private sector, however, if we deliberately train them, then they could be a resource that can be used in the communities.

For the women, activities can include sorting and grading of fruits and vegetables, flowers and grains. The usual farm activities like weeding, harvesting and drying are possibilities. There might not be training to become well-known for the job as is the case for the men though.

​Harriet

Harriet Nsubuga Mpanga

Agribusiness Development Specialist

Eradicating extreme poverty: what is the role of agriculture?

Poverty is one of the major problem & drawback in under-developing countries. To overcome it, we have to adopt Agriculture as a major occupation of the rural society. Agriculture is a very wide sector which is inter-linked with various sectors like: Rural development, Food Industries, Chemical Industries, Processing Industries, Leather Industries, and Textile Industries etc. All of these together play an important role in Eradicating extreme poverty in various aspects.

1) Farmers have to adopt GOOD AGRICULTURE PRACTICES:- Which efficiently produce sufficient (Food security), Safe (Food safety) and nutritious food (Quality food) which also reduces the input cost and increases the crop production per unit area, which ultimately leads to higher net income of farmer. Examples:- Composting, Mulching, Organic Fertilizers, Application of fertilizer at optimum time, optimum dose, optimum depth, Prevent soil salinity by limiting water inputs to excess needs. Green manuring with Sunhemp & cowpea, avoid water logging, Avoid feeding animals with waste matter, Avoid use of excess chemicals and hormones to plants & animal food chain etc.

2) Family Farming: It is very old concept but very effective approach in agriculture. Adopting this approach a farmer is capable of self sustainable & self sufficient to feed his family for year round, by which ultimately the poverty is prevented to major extent. Examples:- Growing of (Cereals + Pulses + Oilseeds + Fruits + Vegetables + Fibre + Fodder)

3) Government sector & NGO'S should promote and encourage the Rural Employment Guarantee programs in agriculture sector:- Which should give a minimum of 100 days daily wages in a year to farming community so that they earn money for their daily needs along with farming, which will be promising in Eradicating extreme poverty.

4) Farmers should Practice Integrated Farming System approach: It play an vital role in minimizing the risk of crop failure due to aberrant weather conditions. Cultivation of crops along with different components like Agro-Forestry, Dairy Farming, Goat/Sheep Farming, Poultry Farming, Aquaculture, Duck Farming, Sericulture and Honey Bee Farming will be a great source of generating continuous income per unit area, which will be a prominent in Eradicating extreme poverty.

5) Promote, Encourage the cottage & small scale industries in rural areas:- Which is a huge income generating source in rural areas for eradicating extreme poverty. Examples of Small Scale industries in village level: Bamboo hand crafts, Sericulture (Silk Production), Small Scale Textile industries, Small Scale Fruit pulp manufacturing, dehydrated & frozen vegetables manufacturing, Pickle industry, Dry fruit processing industry, cheese making, Paneer making, ghee & butter making, Ice-cream making, Spices & condiments processing industry, manufacturing Soaps & detergents, manufacturing herbal hair oil, manufacturing handmade chocolates, cookies & biscuits, manufacturing, candles & waxes manufacturing, Pulses processing industries, Disposable plates manufacturing, wooden furniture, Arboriculture etc.

6) Government & NGO'S should encourage & carry out rural development activates to farmers like Capacity building activates :- Training Programs, Awareness Programs, Brain Storming Sessions, Farmers-Scientists Interactions, GroupMeetings.  Examples:- a) Food and Nutritional Security, b) Basic health & hygiene, c) Educating to children’s especially girl child, d) Drinking pure & safe water, e) Basic medicine & remedies for common diseases, f) Sanitation & Proper disposal of waste materials etc.

7) Government sector & Agriculture Universities should encourage & promote to Integrated Technology Knowledge in agriculture sector:- Which is a new aspect and bright full future to innovative youth farmers for adapting new practices for more crop production & getting higher net profit.

8) Climate Resilient Agriculture Practices are adopted to reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture crop production by various measures like:             a) Rain water harvesting. b) Development of Micro catchment Area (15-20 sqm) for water harvesting. c) Runoff collection. d) Contour bunding, Graded bunding, compartmental bunding for preventing runoff. e) Inter-cropping & mixed cropping.     f) Mulching with crop residues to avoid Evapo-Transpiration losses. g) Spraying of Anti-Transpirants. h) Practicing Broad-Bed-Furrow irrigation & Furrow irrigated raised bed systems for water conservation. i) Planting Shelter-belts / wind break trees species around the field on bunds to prevent the high speed, hot & desiccating winds which destroy the crops to maximum extents. j) Prevent wind and water erosion & Plant the erosion restricting crops like Vitever grass. k) Practice Minimum tillage, Zero tillage & conservation tillage for moisture conservation in dry land areas.

9) New approaches should be encouraged by government sectors in rural areas for farmer benefits. Example: Seed Bank, Fodder Bank & Farm Machineries Bank or Custom hiring centre. a) Seed Bank: - It will supply a good quality, Disease free seeds to farmers on every season on need based with low cost, which will reduce the cost of (seed input) as well as transportation cost for purchasing seed form market. b) Fodder bank: - It will supply a good quality fodder at low cost to farmers whose are involved in dairy farming, goat farming etc. It will play a prominent role in milk production & very high income generation assets to farmers which will ultimately eradicating extreme poverty of a farmer.

10) Organic Farming & Sustainable agriculture:- Farmer should give more scope towards organic farming for getting higher income with by minimizing the input cost. It also have many advantages over conventional farming like ; Maintain soil fertility, Soil health, Increase organic matter content of soil, Reduce compaction, Increase soil flora & fauna, Increase soil microbial activity, Increase nutrient use efficiency, Increase water holding capacity, Increase ground water table, Prevent soil pollution, Produce Pesticides residue free food, Environmental safe, Maintain Eco-System and Diversity, Ultimately all these reduces the cost of production and increase the Net income of the farmers, which leads to Eradicating extreme poverty.

11) Farmers should practice LEISA:- (Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture) to minimize the input cost & maximize the income per unit area.

12) Practice Integrated Nutrient Management, Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Disease Management, and Integrated Weed Management etc. This will be reducing the input cost of plant protection measures and increase the income of farmer per unit area.

13) Watershed Development approach should be promoted in the rural areas, which will be more prominent beneficial impact on agriculture sector for eradicating extreme poverty of a farmer in rural areas by: a) Water security for Agriculture & other daily uses. b) Increase cropping intensity. c) Multiple cropping can be possible d) Life saving irrigation is easily possible for getting higher crop production. e) Employment generation to farm labor for constructions.

14) Eradicating extreme poverty women play an important role in the argiculture:- Women's are the backbone of the development of rural and national economies. They comprise 43% of the world’s agricultural labor force, and carry out various farm opperations in agriculture sector like: Sowing, Transplanting, hand weeding, harvesing, threshing, winowing and packaging etc. Along with this It is extremely important to recognize the role that rural women play and the contribution that they make in networks and cooperatives, giving them greater political and financial support and involving them in the training and conducting of development programs that enhance women's role in agricultural production.

The links between agricultural research and poverty reduction are complex and interdependent, and depending on context, there may be multiple, interacting pathways through which agricultural research could contribute to reductions in poverty and associated vulnerabilities.

In April 2016, the CGIAR’S Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) organized a Science Forum on: 'Agricultural Research for Rural Prosperity: Rethinking the Pathways'. The objective was to reassess the pathways for agricultural research to stimulate inclusive development of rural economies in an era of climate change. Nearly two hundred participants from around the globe, including 114 from Africa attended the Forum. Following the Forum, we worked through various materials to produce an ex-ante list of 18 impact pathways, linking agricultural research for development (AR4D) with poverty reduction in a results-based management format. These pathways involve innovations to increase agricultural productivity; innovations to minimize agricultural production risks; addressing market imperfections and failures; agricultural diversification; improving natural resource management, governance, property rights, and rural livelihoods; improving human nutrition and health; enhancing food supply and reducing food system waste; creating and managing food safety nets; and enhancing national food and agricultural policies and programs.

The impact pathways framework was then used to generate an idealized “wish list” table of contents for a special issue, proposing research papers that in most cases were intended to cover more than one pathway. It proved challenging to get stand-alone papers across the full gamut of 18 pathways and therefore some pathways have been covered in our introductory paper. Of the nine papers in the special issue, seven are already available online. The special issue (edited by Tom Tomich, Preet Lidder and Peter Carberry) is expected to be published in the journal Agricultural Systems by the middle of 2018.

This set of papers does not constitute the proceedings of the Forum. Rather, insights from the Forum were used to identify strategic gaps, constraints and opportunities in this broad field and to frame a coherent and comprehensive collection of research papers from a systems perspective. Each assesses the evidence for the key causal connections

linking AR4D to poverty reduction for their focal pathway(s) and suggests priority research questions, implications for research methods and design, and for necessary AR4D partnerships.

Our concluding paper in the special issue (currently in preparation) attempts to present a consistent set of conclusions emerging from the collection of papers. For example, the indirect effects of agricultural research on poverty (e.g. reduced national food prices for consumers) dominate the direct effects (e.g. income gains from on-farm productivity growth) and thus much greater attention needs to be given to assessing indirect impacts. Consequently, prioritizing AR4D that takes into account potential indirect effects occurring over a longer period of time is critical. Our paper then makes an effort to cluster the impact pathways into operational AR4D impact networks. Stand-alone pathways are rare and there are complementarities and dependencies among pathways, with some pathways possibly being more important than others in some contexts. Building on the analysis of impact pathways (possibly reconceived as impact networks), this paper suggests partnership priorities to achieve development impact, as well as implications for international agri-food systems R4D priorities and program design.

Preet Lidder

Agricultural Research Officer

CGIAR Independent Science & Partnership Council (ISPC) Secretariat

The English translation below 

Bonjour

1. L'agriculture doit être faite actuellement autrement et quelques soient les moyens mis en oeuvre il faudrait qu'elle puisse apporter aux bénéficiaires des revenus et des marges conséquents. Ceci prend en compte l'espace cultivable, la richesse du sol, l'approvisionnement de la matière première et autre même le marché sur lequel les produits récoltés seront déversés. A l'heure actuelle l'agriculture pourra pas faire sortir les gens de l'extrême pauvreté si tant est que ces agriculteurs dans l'extrême pauvreté n'arrivent pas à avoir les autres produits de première nécessité parcequ'ils sont les plus triché dans la transaction et que le dernier sur la chaîne de valeur gagne plus que ces agriculteurs. Il faudra une politique agricole et économique bien soutenue pour pouvoir faire sortir les gens de cette pauvreté. Les ménages qui ont un accès réduit aux ressources doivent trouver une autre alternative sinon risque n9n pas de sortir de cette pauvreté mais de s'y enchaîner. Ces ménages doivent plutôt se trouver une place entre ces agriculteurs et le marché pour pouvoir subvenir à leur besoin.

2. Quand les ressources naturelles sont bien gérées et avec equitabilité dans le partage nous pouvons nous attendre à une amélioration des conditions de vie. Alors tous ceux qui partagent cette ressource pourrons vivre de ça et même se fait de revenu si tout ce qui la partage ont le même droit par rapport à son utilisation.

3. Oui ceux qui n'ont pas la possibilité à se consacrer à la production agricole peuvent bien nourrir par l'intermédiaire de ce secteur. Ceux ci ont besoin de se positionner sur la chaîne de distribution pour faire partir des intermédiaires du circuit de commercialisation ou soit travail transformer en produit dérivé pour la vente. Mais aussi il faut que ces ménages aient un revenu ou un financement pour commencer à vivre de cela. Sinon on retombe dans un cercle vicieux de pauvreté et de malnutrition.

4. Les politiques doivent être rigides et très solides et surtout des politique durable et à long terme. La politique agricole doit revoir les biens ou terres disponibles et à la portés de tous. Ces politiques doivent prendre en charge le volet éducation des enfants pour un avenir meilleur. Ces politiques doivent permettre de faciliter l'accès à la terre , de faciliter le travail des agriculteurs, de donner les moyens d'accroître les récoltes, de faciliter l'accès aux marchés et aussi de protéger leur marché intérieur en sorganisant en cooperative. La politique économique doit permettre d'influencer le prix des produits sur le marché extérieur ou de subventionner ces producteurs. Aussi longtemps que ces producteurs seront influencés par le marché ils pourront pas sortir de cette extrême pauvreté. Il va falloir rendre les producteurs plus dynamique et autonome.

5. Les exemples au jour d'aujourd'hui sont celles qui ont fait juste effet à court terme. Le suivi, l'autonomisation, l'indépendance le savoir faire et la connaissance sont des points critique pour que les exemples ou cas puissent durer à long terme. Les micro prêts dans nos campagnes ont juste permis un temps soit peu et après la situation devient plus compliqué car ces prêts ne prennent pas en compte l'état ou la l'aspect social de la communauté.

 

Merci

***

Hello!

1. Agriculture must be updated differently and whatever the means employed, farming has to contribute the resulting income and margins to the beneficiaries. This takes into account the arable land, the fertility of the soil, the supply of raw inputs and even the market in which the products harvested will be sold.

At present, agriculture could not bring people out of extreme poverty if farmers in extreme poverty do not manage to obtain other essential basic products because they are the most cheated in business dealings and the last people in the value chain earn more than these farmers. A well supported agricultural and economic policy will be needed to eradicate extreme poverty. Households which have reduced access to resources must find alternatives otherwise rather than escaping poverty they risk becoming chained to it. These households should rather situate themselves between the farmers and the market to fulfill their needs.

2. When natural resources are well managed and distributed fairly, we could expect an improvement in living conditions. So, all those who share these resources could live on them and even earn some income if all share the same rights in relation to its use.

3. Indeed those who do not have the opportunity of working in agricultural production can provide for themselves as intermediaries for the sector. These people need to join the distribution chain as intermediaries in the marketing circuit or by working on the transformation of products for final sale. But at the same time, these households need an income or funds while starting to make a living from that. Otherwise, they fall back into a vicious circle of poverty and malnutrition.

4. The policies must be strict and very solid, and above all sustainable and long term. Agricultural policy must review the assets and land available and within reach of all. These policies must embrace the children´s education component for a better future. They should facilitate access to land, encourage the work of the farmers, provide the means to increase harvests, facilitate access to markets and, also, protect their internal market by organizing themselves into cooperatives.

The economic policies must permit the influencing of the price of products in the external market or to subsidize producers. As long as the producers are influenced by the market, extreme poverty cannot be eradicated. It will be necessary to encourage producers to be more dynamic and independent.

5. The examples at present are those policies that have made a good effect in the short term. The follow-up, empowerment, independence, know-how and knowledge are the critical points for the examples can last in the long term. The micro loans in our campaigns have just allowed a short time and thereafter the situation becomes complicated because the loans do not take into account the state or the social aspect of the community.

Integrated Development with Diversification of Employment

On the basis of experience in Cyprus on rural development projects, undertaken in cooperation with FAO Cooperation Programme and the Word Bank, the formerly fashionable INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN THE 1970, AND 1980’S present the best approach, because they provide for rural areas needs in access to essential services (health, education, extension serves, research etc), but should be broader to diversity employment, and include agriculture within the concept, not only in production, but marketing, research and development also. When work began in Cyprus on the successful Pitsilia Intergrated Rural Development Project, the analysis showed that very little agricultural research and innovation was focused on the low income mountain areas. In addition agriculture and nutrition were not integrated into the education system, which of course was under a different ministry, that of education with different priorities.

Later on within an EU project called LIFE a group of specialists from several disciplines was asked to develop a model for development of rural areas. The model presented was relevant to the Mediterranean region,where strong village communities often undertake initiatives. The basic idea is to link agricultural production with marketing, product research, and treat the village or the area/region as a brand. This requires the following:

1. Quality control of the quality of both agricultural products and agro-industry products.
2. Identification of unique products of the region and marketing them i.e. bottled quality water, Pissour halloumi which is halloumi cheese with the addition of mint.
3. Identify areas for research on new products, to diversity what is offered. For example GLUTEN FREE products are now fashionable both for medical reasons, but also because they are considered better for digestion etc. Quinoa has developed as a product in this respect, but are conditions suitable for it and how can it be marketed?
4. In schools at all levels nutrition should be taught and practiced, that needs coordination.
5. Agriculture should also be taught and practiced in the schools.
6. Communications and roads need to be developed both between villages and towns but also to the fields, facilitating mechanization and reducing costs and opening up new opportunities, such as rural tourism.
7. In short an intergrated approach that improves peoples lives, allows greater security of income through diversification, and links social services, agriculture, agro-industries, marketing and research.

Costas Apostolides, Cyprus

Encouraging the extreme poor to engage in production of leafy vegetables,

From my experience extreme poor people who own land and don't know how to deal with it, thus they end selling their property to the people who area likely to go to produce large farm plantations and live them off in their poor condition. Instead educating them about agriculture on the basis of vegetable production will facilitate reduction of poverty and will enhance nutrition and food security.

In my opinion, small to large scale farming, situated near the extreme poor should provide knowledge, training and organizing farm groups to them on how to cultivate crops for their own use and surplus for sale.

Wardha district is one of the 35 districts in Maharashtra state in western India. This district is part of Nagpur division. Wardha is primarily an agriculture oriented district. Cotton farming and soyabean cultivation in kharif is quite common. Recently the district has been in news because of a number of suicides that have been committed by the farmers owing to the agricultural loans they cannot repay with the major reasons being bad crops, droughts and lack of irrigation facilities in the region.

Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation (KJBF) in Wardha is doing many activities for rural people's betterment. These activities are aimed at protection of natural resources, agriculture, social progress and providing options of livelihood. Integrated approach of all these activities led to reducing poverty in the villages.

The main livelihood support i.e. agriculture should be supplemented with agro processing facilities and direct outlet for the farmers to sale their produce. Mono cropping has its own drawback of making the agriculture dependent on middle person driven forward linkages and loss of bargaining power by the farmers. Small and marginal farmers are the most affected. Second most important think is small and marginal farmers do not have storage space to hold the farm produce and wait for profitable market price.

KJBF has successfully take up the promotion of multi cropping to minimize the risk of total crop failure as well as making the things easy for farmers to sale the produce in weekly markets. Every year Grain Festival has been organized to build direct consumer linkage which has led to opening of permanent outlet at district place where farmers began to sale fresh vegetables, fruits and other agricultural produce. This is improving their profit margins and they regain their bargain power. They need not to wait for season end to earn money. They are earning almost every day and thus relieved from financial distress. Besides KJBF is also helping the families to establish small scale processing units for the crops cultivated by them. For example, processing of wheatm sorghum into Papad, Chilli and tamarind into Chatani, fruits into pickles, etc. This is not only the value addition but also generated employment opportunities for the landless poor families of the village. Thus agriculture can reduce poverty in the village. The following case story illustrate the same.

Rural Poor Family Striving Hard for Sustaining Livelihood

Maina Dnyneshwar Vasu is 55 years old living in village Pimpalgaon of Deoli taluk of Wardha district and is a member of Shri. Swami Samarth self-help group formed in 2009. She has 2 sons. Both of them are married. Elder son lives separately in the same village with his family while younger divorcee son lives with them. They own 5 acres of irrigated land. Her husband could not help in farming as he is suffering from health problems.

Since last 15 years they are living in the farm in a small hut. Repeated failure of crops in the past few years made their conditions miserable. Their present financial condition could not support the farming. They even could not afford any fan inside the house. Maina lacks the access to proper health care services due to poor financial conditions. They also do not have ration benefits as they come under OBC category.

Maina is guided to initiate an income generating activity for improving her financial conditions during SHG meetings. She was confident that Garam Masals prepared by her would impress the consumers and so she began to sale this product since 2014. Her son Manoj began to sale the Garam Masala in the village and nearby villages on his bike. He also began to sale Sabudana and dry coconut along with homemade Garam Masala. As a part of marketing strategy, he sale the quality products at a comparatively cheaper price than available in the village grocery shop. He earns Rs.400 weekly through this income generating activity. For further improving the income Maina thought of selling Groundnut Laddu, Sesame laddu and mix Groundnut and Futana Laddu. She was helped to try out these products in the market during organization of mass gatherings by KJBF.

KJBF representative further guided them to adopt practices of zero budget natural farming for cultivation of their land. They are also motivated to collect the quotations of the required machineries and having a business plan. They were supported with the required finance through revolving fund by KJBF.

Now they are growing onion, chilli and coriander seeds required for Garam Masala along with sun hemp, cotton, pigeon pea and vegetables. They are selling Sharbat of sun hemp flowers which is medicinal and protect from sun stroke. They sale vegetables at village level. They were helped to develop market in Nagpur and Wardha by rendering them opportunity to participate in Agriculture exhibitions. Now their monthly income has raised to Rs.15000 and they are planning to reconstruct the house and could afford the medical care. The most important is the happiness and smile which the family has regained.