The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) welcomes this important topic in the context of the International Year of Family Farming. Furthermore, given that it is also the African Union’s Year of Agriculture and Food Security, we believe that addressing the question What measures can development organizations and governments take to make rural areas more appealing for future farmers? is most opportune.
In order to make farming a viable and economically attractive profession, farmers must have access to productive resources such as:
· financing to purchase inputs,
· quality seeds of improved varieties,
· soil nutrients/fertilizers,
· crop protection products,
· irrigation,
· crop insurance.
This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a wide yield gap means that not only farmers are unable to become commercial, but they often face hunger and malnutrition themselves.
Half the food we eat today is produced thanks to fertilizers. The impact of fertilizers is immediate: within a single cropping season, farm productivity can be doubled or tripled. For every 1 kg of nutrient applied, farmers obtain 5-30 kg of additional product. No farm in the world is too small to use fertilizers.
Recognizing the importance of this issue, IFA and seven partners (AFAP, AGRA, CNFA, IFDC, IITA, IPI, IPNI and One Acre Fund) launched a campaign advocating for access to fertilizer and other inputs for African smallholders.
The campaign calls on African leaders work to with the private sector, researchers and civil society in these areas:
· Provide access to credit, finance and insurance by retailers and farmers.
· Facilitate imports and the distribution of diverse fertilizer products.
· Invest in infrastructure: transport, handling, storage, and blending facilities.
· Develop mobile technologies to provide information on markets, extension services and prices.
· Train extension workers to help farmers organize themselves.
· Disseminate best practices based on the integration of organic and mineral nutrients and balanced fertilization.
By implementing these six inter-linked measures, smallholder and family farming can become more productive pursuits with net economic gains that will attract rural youth towards agriculture as a career and way of life.
The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) welcomes this important topic in the context of the International Year of Family Farming. Furthermore, given that it is also the African Union’s Year of Agriculture and Food Security, we believe that addressing the question What measures can development organizations and governments take to make rural areas more appealing for future farmers? is most opportune.
In order to make farming a viable and economically attractive profession, farmers must have access to productive resources such as:
· financing to purchase inputs,
· quality seeds of improved varieties,
· soil nutrients/fertilizers,
· crop protection products,
· irrigation,
· crop insurance.
This is particularly true in Sub-Saharan Africa, where a wide yield gap means that not only farmers are unable to become commercial, but they often face hunger and malnutrition themselves.
Half the food we eat today is produced thanks to fertilizers. The impact of fertilizers is immediate: within a single cropping season, farm productivity can be doubled or tripled. For every 1 kg of nutrient applied, farmers obtain 5-30 kg of additional product. No farm in the world is too small to use fertilizers.
Recognizing the importance of this issue, IFA and seven partners (AFAP, AGRA, CNFA, IFDC, IITA, IPI, IPNI and One Acre Fund) launched a campaign advocating for access to fertilizer and other inputs for African smallholders.
The campaign calls on African leaders work to with the private sector, researchers and civil society in these areas:
· Provide access to credit, finance and insurance by retailers and farmers.
· Facilitate imports and the distribution of diverse fertilizer products.
· Invest in infrastructure: transport, handling, storage, and blending facilities.
· Develop mobile technologies to provide information on markets, extension services and prices.
· Train extension workers to help farmers organize themselves.
· Disseminate best practices based on the integration of organic and mineral nutrients and balanced fertilization.
By implementing these six inter-linked measures, smallholder and family farming can become more productive pursuits with net economic gains that will attract rural youth towards agriculture as a career and way of life.
For further information, please see:
1. Video animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jop4omYYaWA
2. Issue Brief: http://www.fertilizer.org/en/doc_library/Knowledge%20Resources/2014_smal...