New book: ‘Farmers Views on the Future of Food and Small Scale Producers'

edited by  Michel Pimbert, Khanh Tran-Thanh, Estelle Deléage, Magali Reinert, Christophe Trehet, Elizabeth Bennett

Also available in French L'Avenir de l'alimentation et des petits producteurs

Also available in Spanish Visión de los Agricultores sobre el Futuro del Alimento y de los Productores de Pequeña Escala

The outcomes of an electronic conference on the 'Future of Food and Small Scale Producers' are presented in this report. The electronic discussion primarily involved indigenous, small and family farmers, landless and fisherfolk as well as their representative organisations. The focus was on small-scale food producers - women and men who produce and harvest field and tree crops as well as livestock, fish and other aquatic organisms. The E-Conference process was thus specifically designed to allow the excluded to voice their views, analysis and priorities on the future of food, farming, environment and human well being. This book summarises participants' contributions to the three discussion questions:

• what does sustainable agriculture and land/water use mean to you?
• what prevents small-scale producers from achieving their vision?
• what needs to change to allow small-scale producers to achieve their vision?

Participants' responses emphasise the importance of holistic approaches that minimise negative environmental and health effects, respect for traditional approaches and knowledge, and recognition for the way that small-scale food production contributes to a whole social system, not just economic production. Conversely, they also suggest that only locally rooted social processes can create sustainable systems.

Other issues raised in the discussions include:

• the need for a platform or space to promote farmer-led research, farmer discovery learning processes, and respect for farmers' innovations and indigenous knowledge
• governments should do more to support food production, with specific policies for small-scale producers
• the need for small producers to organise in order to resist the negative effects of large agribusinesses and international competition
• the need for improved infrastructure, access to credit, market information and education for farmers
• the need for specific policies for small-scale producers to help them to engage with the market, and to strengthen markets for organic produce, local markets, and fair trade systems.

The book concludes with reflections on the process of conducting an electronic conference and addressing barriers such as language and illiteracy.

Available on line at www.iied.org/pubs/pdf/full/14503IIED.pdf