Chief
Executive, Dr. Tolbert Thomas Jallah, describes family farming as “God’s way of
farming” that benefits the development of local economies.
He
has therefore recommended that governments in the sub-region commit a decade in
supporting family farms and local private sector to build resilient livelihoods
of vulnerable communities.
“Let’s
give them all of the support; let’s ensure that their children will have access
to education; let’s ensure that the food will come from the farm to the market
and let’s ensure that the roads are good for the food to come to the market,” said
Dr. Jallah. “We do not support the large scale agricultural engagement on our
continent; we frown at land grab; we are totally against undermining our own
security.”
This year’s World Food Day is
being commemorated on the theme: “Family Farming: Feeding the World,
Caring for the Earth.” This is in line with the United Nations’ declaration of
2014 as the “International Year of Family Farming” to raise the profile of
family farming and smallholder farming to provide food security and nutrition.
A
new report by the FAO ‘State of Food and Agriculture 2014’, says nine out of
ten of the world’s 570 million farms are managed by families, making the family
farm the predominant of agriculture, and consequently a potentially crucial
agent of change in achieving sustainable food security.
Family
farms produce about 80 percent of the world’s food. Their prevalence and output
mean they “are vital to the solution of the hunger problem” afflicting more
than 800 million people, noted FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva.
Family
farms are also the custodians of about 75 percent of all agricultural resources
in the world, and are therefore key to improved ecological and resource
sustainability. They are also among the most vulnerable to the effects of
resource depletion and climate change.
While
evidence shows impressive yields on land managed by family farmers, many
smaller farms are unable to produce enough to provide decent livelihoods for
the families.
Family
farming is thus faced with a triple challenge: yield growth to meet the world’s
need for food security and better nutrition; environmental sustainability to
protect the planet and to secure their own productive capacity; and
productivity growth and livelihood diversification to lift themselves out of
poverty and hunger.
According
to the SOFA report, all these challenges mean that family farmers must
innovate.
“In
all cases, family farmers need to be protagonists of innovation as only this
way can they take ownership of the process and ensure that the solutions
offered respond to their needs,” Graziano da Silva said. “Family farming is a
key component of the healthy food systems we need to lead healthier lives.”
At
a recent ‘Government for the People Forum’ in Kumasi, local Ghanaian farmers identified
poor road networks and lack of markets as challenges impeding food production
as a business.
Dr.
Jallah observed that “food insecurity is a security issue and this must be
clear to all of us, whether people in the mosque – the Islamic community;
whether people in the churches – the Christian community; this is a major
concern.”
The
African Union has also declared 2014 as the year of Agriculture and Food
Security in Africa to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the
Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).
The
intent is to “consolidate active commitments towards new priorities, strategies
and targets for achieving results and impacts, with special focus on sustained, all Africa
agriculture-led growth, propelled by stronger, private sector investment and
public-private partnerships”.
Dr.
Jallah wants African governments to fulfill their commitments of investing at
least ten percent of their annual budget to agriculture.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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