As a small farm owner, many may feel that their impact as an individual dwarfs in comparison to corporate America, where large conglomerates rule. But in the view of nature, all individuals are equal when it comes to changing the face of our Earth, and small farmers are finding that together their unified voices and actions may help create a better climate for tomorrow.
Worldwide, small-holder farmers are 500 million strong, and while they are often seen as the potential victims of climate change looming over the near future, their responsibilities lie in feeding the more than 2 billion people depending on their crops. And a new report released last week at the 2014 United Nations Climate Change Forum in Lima, Peru, says that instead of being viewed as victims, these farmers should be heralded as the possible saviors of climate change.
Spokesperson for the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Gernot Laganda says that the report, entitled "The Smallholder Advantage", reveals genuine progress in dealing with climate change. And it's an investment worthwhile for organizations, as the small-holders will not only implement new technology to drive efficiency, but will also help raise profits while lowering emissions in the process.
"Investment not only increases agricultural productivity, increases resilience and reduces the risks from climate change, but it also reduces the carbon footprint and contributes to climate change mitigation" Laganda says. "Small-holder agriculture is a very rich field which provides a lot of opportunities for multiple benefits."
Put together by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the report is the culminations of 12 independent case studies aimed at investigating climate finance and how this relates to smallholder farmers. The study expresses both a clear commitment that developed nations have in showing significant financial flows to areas of the industry most gravely affected by shifting climates, as well as a changing paradigm in extreme climate change scenarios, wherein the collective small farmers of the world will be making the world a bit greener besides with their ample crops.
"If we do not invest in the productivity and sustainability of small farms" Laganda says, "then we see that with our current trajectory, we are headed for a big problem."
