Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

Based on the question raised in this forum, we at Vestergaard wanted to share a practical example of how we see agriculture being able to lift the most vulnerable out of poverty in rural areas.  We are currently focused on supporting the poorest families, with a very small amount of land, living below the poverty level or 1.90 USD/ Day (693.50 USD).  We wanted to share with this forum, for input, a possible platform for an anti-poverty starter kit and a new strategy for local warehousing that we are developing together with local partners in Kenya.

In Kakamega Western Kenya, at Vestergaard, we are challenging ourselves to show that using the Farmer’s Starter Kit we can lift 10,000 rural families out of extreme poverty. The kit dynamics are based on over 90% of families’ prefer to grow and consume their own food, and the average storage time is 2 months, with over 70% storing at home. Storage is typically in woven new or used bag (costing USD 0.80 – USD 0.40). As many as 50% are “in the market and net sellers” and know quality gives better prices. Financing institutions require smallholders to sell upon harvest to minimize credit risk, this is exacerbates the poverty cycle. There are now initiatives from various banks allowing farmers an additional 3 months storage subject to proper safe storage (due to revenue upsides of >100% by storing for few months extra).

Working closely with Kenya Seed Corporation we are focusing on providing an anti-extreme poverty starter kit for farmers. This kit will initially focus on providing all the tools needed for maximizing production of maize of high quality and then also the opportunity of storing the maize produced safely. This not only allows the farmer to grow more but also keep the grain longer, selling the surplus at a price higher than the one available during the harvest period.

The families will then be provided a connection to a warehouse storage program being set up in the region, a simple decentralized profit sharing warehousing system designed on the “Uber” model, to provide a place for farmers to confidently sell the maize close to home. The system, like Uber, is managed through a block chain phone application, it enables quality classification, spot price agreement, weight documentation and a sales agreement. The ZeroFly® Storage Manager stores and sells at the optimal pricing, and shares profits with family via the app (based on the m-pesa/ cryptocurrency system).

Then Uber Warehouse owner is then connected with the key markets through East African Grain Council & the National Cereals Board to bring this maize to market for the most optimal prices.

Case study: The Otienos are a family of five, father working as a farm laborer outside of the home, mother working part time and taking care of two young children and managing the family’s 1/3 acre plot of land with the help of her mother – the family lives close to the poverty line and has an income of approximately 540 USD per year – approx. earning 1.50 USD/ per day. Mrs Otieno cannot afford high quality seeds or fertiliser, they grow maize twice per year, but yields are low and she never manages to grow enough for the family to eat for the year, and the maize that is grown needs to be sold or consumed within 2 months or it will be completely spoiled by insects and rodents. The 100kg of maize that that her husband carries 20 km to the nearest market sells at the lowest market price as it is at the harvest period.

Vestergaard proposes to provide a family such as the Otienos an Anti-Poverty Starter Kit for Farmers – the kit contains enough high quality maize seeds from Kenya Seed Co., top dressing & fertiliser, and ZeroFly® Combi Bags (allowing safe storage of grains within patented hermetic coated storage bags protected by insecticide and rodent repellent) for two seasons – 12 months. This kit not only provides additional income and high quality nutrition, but also – since the Uber Warehousing scheme will be much closer to the homestead, <7km, Mrs Otieno will be able to carry the grain to the warehouse, providing an opportunity for gender empowerment. Additionally, after sometime the family will have more disposable income to grow their farm and provide opportunities for the younger members of the family, and members of other neighboring families to stay in these rural areas, instead of having to leave to find work.

A cheap starter pack can generate on average 400 kg of maize per season, and the investment needed for this pack is under 20 USD per family and will bring them out of extreme poverty within two harvest seasons (12 months), and break the cycle of poor farmers always having to sell first or at least provide an opportunity to store for better profits.

Calculation (estimated):

*Two seasons of seed for 400 kg maize, fertiliser and 4* ZeroFly® Combi Bags; With KES 1,700 approx. 17 USD / household, a family’s food security and financial needs will be met for the year.

*One acre of land requires 12 kg of seeds and produces on average 20 bags of 100 kg, equivalent to 2000 kg. Most of the target farmers have less than 1 acre of land for planting. Therefore, 800 kg have been used as the average and 5 kg seeds are needed for producing this much maize.

*Poor soils require both planting and top dressing fertilizer; 50 kg fertilizer of both basal and top dressing approx. 25 kg fertilizer is able to work for the 5 kg of seeds

*A minimum of 4 bags will be provided for each of the farmers; x4 ZeroFly® Combi bags are able to ensure the farmers can store the equivalent of enough grains to earn an additional income of 125-150 USD x2/ year ; After 12 months generating 250-300 USD lifting the family out of extreme poverty.

*Outreach and distribution of kits; the infrastructure and resources are already available to distribute kits in the Kakamega region through Vestergaard’s LifeStraw team and can provide the necessary initial training.

Many thanks for comments and thoughts.

Georgina V Bingham PhD FRES

[email protected]

"Hunger and poverty are shame to humanity" says Gandhiji. "Every thing can wait but not agriculture" so addresses the First Prime Minister of India Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru to the members of the First Planning Commission of India-Dr P C Mahalanobis and Prof.C R Rao. "Jai Jawan Jai Kissan" is the slogan given by the Farmer Prime Minister Shri.Lal Bahadur Sasthri. "Green Revolution promoted by Smt Indira Gandhi transformed India from a stage of "ship to mouth in 1947-62 to Farm to Ship 1965 onwards. Despite mountains of grains(278 million tones) and horticultural produces(307 million tones), India hosts the largest number of hungry and poor in the world.Hidden hunger due to deficiency of micro-nutrients and vitamins in the common diet is rampant. Availability of drinking water, lack of protein supplements and above all complete missing of nutrition education are matters of concern. The Forth coming book ZERO HUNGER INDIA:POLICIES AND PERSPECTIVES published by Brillion Publishing New Delhi carries 28 chapters addressing wholistically the state of food and nutrition in India.An introduction to the book is attached.

For Chinese people, we have the largest population in the world with vigorous demand for agricultural products. In China, as in other developing countries, most of the poor people live in rural areas. Therefore, I would like to join this discussion with the main focus on rural revitalization.

What can agriculture do to eradicate extreme poverty? In my opinion, rural revitalization means business revitalization, which is the key to stimulate rural vigor. Nowadays, China is experiencing a transformation from production-oriented to quality-oriented in a green, high quality, distinctive and high geographic identification way. We implement the national strategic plan for improving agricultural quality, paying great attention to agricultural efficiency and based on the guarantee of domestic food security.

Secondly, rural revitalization requires not only the flourishing of agriculture, but also other sectors. It is necessary to promote a deep integration of the primary, secondary and tertiary industry, to extend the agricultural value chain while building up a full-scale agricultural industry chain.

Thirdly, we need to realize that agriculture is multifunction. Take some of FAO’s work as examples, the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and the conservation of biodiversity, it develops related products and demonstrates traditional agricultural practices, promoting farm tourism and rural tourism.

Fourthly, set up international agriculture cooperation projects at village level to promote rural investment, market and technical capacity, and lay a solid foundation for developing agricultural productivity.

That’s all I’d like to share, thank you!

Agriculture in India - Poverty Eradication

Thatchinamoorthy.C

Ph.D., Research Scholar

Agricultural Extension

“India lives in its Villages” Rural was backbone of our country. Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is unquestionably the largest livelihood provider in India, more so in the vast rural areas. It also contributes a significant figure to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sustainable agriculture, in terms of food security, rural employment, and environmentally sustainable technologies such as soil conservation, sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity protection, are essential for holistic rural development. Tamil Nadu has historically been an agricultural state, while its advances in other fields launched the state into competition with other areas. The State’s total population grew from 62.41 million in 2001 to 72.15 million in 2011, the decadal growth being 11.6 percent. Nearly 70 per cent of the country population likes in rural areas report from latest census. Unemployment and poverty are inextricably linked in that one can’t be decoupled from the other. Unemployment is the major cause of poverty. Unemployment leads to loss of income, self reliance, skill and self-confidence, psychological and physical health, worker motivation and increases in ailment, morbidity and mortality.

Agriculture is very important for Indian economy and society both. It is the means of livelihood for half of the population. According to the Socio-Economic and Caste Census, SECC in 2011, out of 24.39 crore households in the country, 17.9 million households live in villages and are mostly dependent on agriculture. Agriculture is the principal source of livelihood for about 48 per cent of the population of the country. It caters to the food security of the nation besides generating exportable surpluses. As per 2011 Agricultural Census, number of agricultural workers in the country were 26.3 crore comprising 11.87 crore of cultivators and 14.43 crore of agricultural labourers.

Our agricultural farming system move to sustainability, It is refers to appropriate use of natural resources, protection of bio-diversity and environmentally compliant technologies with a view to ensuring the food and nutrition security of the growing population. And, inclusiveness implies the need to provide equal opportunities for all categories of agricultural households including the agricultural landless labour and the small and marginal farmers to grow and earn net family incomes at levels much higher than they do now. India’s agriculture sector has been undergoing a structural change with respect to its farm size, cropping pattern and share in the national Gross Value Added (GVA).

The global population is projected to be nine billion by 2050 which need to be almost doubled to meet the global food and nutritional security demand. Agrarian distress manifests itself as low income of farmers (evidenced by high percentage living below poverty line) farmer’s suicide which is not only unfortunate, but is also an avoidable event only if appropriate and timely interventions are made. It is in the above context, that Government of India in its budget 2016-17 declared its commitment to doubling income of the farmers over the period of 6 years (2016-17 to 2021-2022).

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has set the goal of “Doubling the Farmers income” by 2022. This is the second time after independence when there is going to be a big transformation in the system in respect to agriculture and farmers. The country struggling with food shortage in the sixties was made self-reliant through the Green Revolution and now the Prime Minister is striving to double the income of the debt ridden farmers and raise their living standards. The Prime Minister’s goal of doubling the income of farmers by 2022 is commendable and full of challenges but not impossible.  To bringing focus on ensuring small and marginal farmer income by the technology transfer through agricultural extension, it tries to creating a conducive awareness that supports doubling farmer income and poverty eradication.

Agricultural extension is more than only information dissemination; it extends beyond collection and sharing of research outcomes or farmers local knowledge with producers.  It is an advisory service that entails human interaction. It is about knowledge brokering, which involves mediation between a wide ranges of actors within the agricultural innovation system. Despite all these tested and workable models and approaches. The sector is still in crisis. With the emergence of new ICTs, development partners should not make the mistake of thinking that ICTs could act as the new model of extension, nor be used to by-pass the extension officer and placed directly in farmers’ hands just because the extension has become dysfunctional.

Extension service delivery must shift from its current comfortable top-down approach to a knowledge sharing and facilitated learning approach. In this case, extension workers regard their clients as partners in developing new skills, generating innovations and learning about sustainability, rather than assuming the farmers to be mere recipients of externally generated scientific knowledge which may or may not be suited to their livelihoods and farming contexts. In all their extension engagements -be they production, food security or livelihood related- extension agents must be grounded thoroughly in both technical and ‘soft’ (e.g. participatory, learning, and communication) skills to promote environmentally sustainable livelihoods among farmers.  Extension support should also encourage rural communities to institutionalize local governing bodies, mechanisms and rules to protect the invaluable natural resources upon which much of their sustenance depends.  A single comprehensive policy must be established addressing food security, biodiversity conservation and extension, whereby both food security and conservation objectives are enshrined within extension service delivery.

Agricultural extension focusing on enhancing sustainable agricultural practices through the named instruments, biodiversity conservation, increased agricultural production, increased income, and improved social capital and human capital can be achieved. Thus, it is vital that agricultural extension remains an integral tool of any government to address biodiversity conservation at the rural environment level. Whatever approach or combination of approaches used – technology transfer, advisory, facilitation, or learning – agricultural extension programmes should be re-examined and adjusted so that they are made to contribute to poverty eradication.

Delighted to read the post by Daisy Alum which takes a realistic look at what happens to extra farming income generated by home-grown school feeding. I would very much like to know if Ms Alum has any data on this, but the forum is closing today. Is there some way we can hear more?
Jane Sherman, nutrition education consultant, ex-FAO.

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

A person or family living within extreme poverty, even here in the USA with the addition of a home garden can provide the necessary vegetables and fruits to sustain their health. In the case of a collaborative community garden, some of the labor may be shared. This is especially helpful for the aged, frail and disabled population who have limited physical capabilities, within the region or community. There is also a food bank method of redistributing food items, although here in the USA where I live, it is usually foods which have been processed, making it easier to store for longer periods of time before using the items. This means the food has been canned, frozen, dried and air-tight sealed. In many cases there is a loss of nutrient value, although in some cases such as dried herbs, the nutrient value may be increased.

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

1. Firstly, the soil needs to be nourished not stripped and devoid of all the biotic life contained in this portion of the ecosystem. In the last two decade, research has revealed that we are more biotic cells than human cells at a 9:1 ratio. This means when herbicides such as glyphosate are used to reduce weed populations, this glyphosate can and does enter our body systems and alter the patterns of growth. [See https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180322181335.htm]
2. Clean safe drinking water is the second matter at hand to support the eradication of extreme poverty. Poverty can be associated with lack of productive activity. This may be related to lack of clean and safe drinking water, to cleanse the body systems after heavy or even light exercise takes place, albeit digging a hole, harvesting a crop, or carrying safe water to plants. When plants are healthier, they tend to attract fewer pests and diseases. When farmers are drinking fresh safe water they tend to get more work done, think more clearly and enjoy life more.

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

You may be referring to people who are disabled, mental or physically incapable of managing agricultural production. Yet there are plenty of jobs and work to be done around the entire food chain. Jobs like nutrition education, training in food harvesting, cleaning and storage. Or teaching methods to cook and serve healthy meals for all ages. The challenge may be to encourage a living wage for these peripheral jobs, as well as the ones doing the actual farming, crop management, etc. These are economic changes we struggle with here in the US as well. There are farms and farmer who cannot afford to eat their own crops, as the work to feed the supply chain, not their families first. We have a ways to go in our economics to generate living wages for all people who work, regardless of whether actually observed and paid for

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

Our current administration in the White House is struggling with recognizing the rural populations and their unmet needs. For instance, rural health care is often left behind due to the cost of transportation to and from a hospital or clinic, leaving this population to self-medicate. This is one of the areas hit hardest by opioid addiction, as there are few ways to deal with the physical pain of performing strenuous labor, often for long hours under a hot sun or in a snow storm. Yet we all benefit from the work of these farmers and their families. We need to be certain that those are serving us and served as well.

5. Can you share any examples of experiences that succeeded in reducing (or eradicating) extreme poverty through an agricultural pathway?

Several years ago, a women who was a professor at our local university in the area of social justice, saw a way to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in our county. Dr. Hossfeld conceive and created a Community Farm Association comprised of farms on the peripheral or our city limits. She began to organize the farms to advertise their crops online, take orders and then the farmers would deliver the packages of produce to the drop-off site, where the city shoppers would come and pick them up. This worked well and then the restaurants began to source their menu items from the farms. While the good Dr. has left us, the program is shifting in ways yet uncharted. We will see what the next generation will do.

A final note I would like to address today. More and more research is coming forward to demonstrate the impact of using glyphsoate herbicides in our farming and lawn cultivation to elimenate weeds.  Just this past month a study from Indiana Univerity and published by Science Daily, came forward with results of the effects of glyphsoate [Roundup] in pregnant women. It was found that the presence of glyphosate in the urine shorten the pregnancy of 90% of the study population. Here is that link for your edification: 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180322181335.htm

Also, we have a microbiolgist who has crafted a spore biotic which will survive both areobic and anerobic environments allowing it to reach the duodenum and small intestine where it will be able to preform it regenerative properties on the human biome. See Wikipedia for more information and/or contact me with any questions. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project

Thank you.

May you and yours..Be In Good Health,

Laura L. Dawson, MAOM, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac.

To start with, poverty is defined as lack or scarcity of money or certain basic possessions. That being said, to eradicate poverty mostly entails people being able to afford basic neccesities of life. How will they afford these necessities when they do not have the money to buy such? Hence, agriculture serve as one of the key instrument in eradicating poverty. This is because it can be practised by anyone on land, water (aquaponics/aquaculture) or air (aeroponics) while the produce or output of such can be used to meet other needs of the individual. For this to be effective, there is need to educate people on how to engage in basic farming that can help put food on their tables and generate income that be used to meet other needs. Technological and scientific advancement have made  it possible to have small scale farming that can be operated by individuals, families or group of people in a community. Taking aquaponics for example, this technology can be used to generate vegetables and fish that will feed an individual or an entire family. However, many are not aware of this technology or it usage. Therefore, it is important to educate, train and provide enabling environment for  opportunities such as aquaponics before it can help eradicate poverty. 

Thanks

Olumide Odeyemi

Higis International Foundation

Nigeria

This was certainly a very rich discussion as I believe it is heart for rural poverty reduction:

Reflecting on agricultural practices that are nutrion cautious, I would like to give the example of olive harvest. Traditional way of harvesting causes injury to olives, which in turn causes a loss in nutrional quality of olive oil produced from these fruits. For more information, please see page 70 in the following document in the link:

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d1eb/c627f64b3ece2b98f22f8882df1e96d00…

According to the Agronomic systems in Somalia, Farmers success depends on understanding with the crop that is appropriate to the field they possessed instead preferring cash crops also proper handling of irrigation system and crop variation. Also equipping with knowledge and providing fertile seeds could result fruitful gardening.

Targeting poverty eradication, I think empowering local agricultural system is the key step to improve by providing amenities that is necessary to enhance their agricultural production, such helping to the fertilizers, international investment and overcoming security issues for our case. Funding small scale farmers to produce goods that may be to cover the needs for certain local geographic zone will be part to promote large scaled and well planted farming system.  

When setting policies, I have belief inspiring local food production supplies are very crucial to obtain sustainable vast production and well decent agriculture system and poverty eradication strategy. E.g. transporting food aids from somewhere else that is not may be our food preferences and is not fitting to consume our people instead of that if donors preferred to provide food aids from local grown foods will enhance both responding nutritional status of beneficiaries and local production.

Sincerely

Kamaludin Abdullahi

Msc Applied Human Nutrition

DEPARTMENT OF FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND NUTRITION

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY KAMPALA, UGANDA

The case of school feeding in Uganda, Small holder farmers have highly benefited in the HGSF program, households produce for their own consumption and are able to sell their surplus to the market or schools, this generates income and farmers are partly able to meet their nutritional needs. However, the farmers are likely to misuse the income to purchase non- food items and less nutritious foods and this has led to increasing levels of under-nutrition in the rural areas. I think this calls for need for nutrition education alongside the HGSF programs so that farmers are able to understand that despite the need for increased income they need to actually sustain good nutrition for increased productivity.

To link agriculture to poverty eradication in Uganda through HGSF the government needs to establish streamlined procurement procedures either through decentralized or centralized management so that small holder farmers achieve high economic benefit and sustainable development.

Thanks

DAISY ALUM