Food Security, Innovation and Small Scale Agriculture

To provide food for a growing population, ‘Green Revolution’ technologies were promoted in the ‘70s and ’80s. This approach focused on high-yielding crop varieties and intensive water & land use. It was adopted widely, and pulled many countries back from the brink of famine.

Over the years, intensive, modernized agriculture has led to the depletion of land quality and water availability in several parts of the world. It is widely acknowledged that such practices have reached the limits of sustainability. At the same time, food prices have hit an all-time high resulting in what is being widely referred to as a ‘food-crisis.’

This challenge denotes a crisis. Fortunately, it has also effected innovations that promise to meet the dual criteria of productivity and sustainability. These innovations have come from scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs alike, and represent a variety of approaches – combining modern and indigeneuous. There is, however, a common focus on (a) maximizing the efficiency of land and water use, (b) minimizing the degradation of land and water resources. The following videos capture some examples:

These innovations are great news, and highlight the potential of human ingenuity in the technological context. However, the food-crisis is as much a crisis of access to food as much as one of food-availability. And this is why the issue demands a multi-dimensional approach, rather than just technological fixes.

The rural poor bear the brunt of food-crises. Ironically, this group comprises mostly of small farmers. Their resilience to shocks (sudden fall in supply, spike in prices) is based on their access to land/ water, and the extent to which they are in control of food production. Besides, small-scale farming is a production process that takes into account the complex nature of eco-systems. Choices of inputs and outputs are based on local considerations, and most compatible with local soil and water profile, microclimate and nutritional requirements.

Hence, there is a clear need to provide a boost to small-scale agriculture, derided much since the ‘Green Revolution’ days as inefficient and outdated. The following videos illustrate some of these points:

(Learning AgriCultures, a series of learning modules, is a recommended resource for more information. The series draws on insights from sustainable small-scale farming gathered over the years, compiling them into a systematic knowledge base. Published under the Creative Commons License, the module can be freely used and shared.)

Political Economy provides insights into what limits the policy uptake of small farming. Corporate interests in large-scale agriculture are often opposed to land rights and food security, a fact highlighted most recently in the ongoing debate over the Global Land Grab. ‘…Governments in developing countries have a key role to play in fostering the development of smallholder farmers, and in ensuring responsible investment in agriculture,’ notes a recent IFAD occasional paper on the issue.