Farmers' organizations want to be involved in designing agricultural policy

Claudia Jordan
Under "Food4Transformation," stakeholders and experts from around the world will still be able to discuss issues and report on topics related to food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development. Four interviews kick off the relaunch, asking the same questions from different perspectives. "Women and young people need access to land. And they need financial support to cultivate this land." - says Kolyang Palebele, President of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO).

Smallholder agricultural structures predominate in Madagascar. Farmers often work with traditional cultivation, livestock and processing techniques. © GIZ / Rossy Heriniaina

By Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

GIZ

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) is a globally active provider of international cooperation for sustainable development. It has more than 50 years of experience in a wide range of fields.  

All contributions

By Kolyang Palebele

Kolyang Palebele, born in Chad, is an agropastoralist and expert in rural and community development. Among other positions, Kolyang Palebele is President of the Board of Directors of the Pan African Farmers' Organization (PAFO).

All contributions

What does the transformation of agricultural and food systems mean to you?

The transformation of agar and food systems is facing many global challenges, which are also reflected in Africa. We are experiencing a global food crisis, which is also affecting African countries. It is determined by several factors, such as climate change. In Africa, we are particularly affected by this, be it through extreme droughts that prevent people from producing anything, or through floods that destroy entire harvests of smallholders. The extremes of climate change make producers' work difficult. Furthermore, there is the health crisis. The pandemic has prevented producers from going to their fields, selling their products on the market. When the markets come to a standstill, the smallholder farmers in their villages can no longer access agricultural goods from other countries. Another problem is conflicts, wars, uncertainties. They, too, often do not allow producers to go to their fields. Because they are afraid of being attacked, for example by Islamist groups such as Boko Haram. Many farmers have left their fields and villages and have gone elsewhere. You can see this in all countries of Western and Central Africa.

 

All these factors prevent farmers from going to their fields and producing. We must take them into account when transforming agricultural and food systems.

 

How do you see your role in the transformation of agricultural and food systems?

Farmers’ organisations can help countries change their agricultural policies. Because agricultural policies are sometimes not adapted to current world affairs. They were often developed ten years ago and are no longer up to date. We therefore need to review all these policies, whether at local, national or continental level. Farmers' organisations need financial support at local and national level. We must modernise agriculture, use modern means, means of production that allow farmers to produce very well and give them access to the market.

 

African agricultural policies must consider the challenges of today's world in order to make good and concrete proposals to policy makers on how they can assist producers to face all these problems.

 

What needs to be done in the future to drive the transformation?

We need good infrastructures such as roads for transport, energy for production. With Russia's war against Ukraine, certain imports are interrupted. That's why we have to work with our old ways of production, with natural products such as cow or goat dung. Back to agroecology, that's our system. In addition, we need storage facilities in our villages to ensure the nation's food security. We have to use technologies, the population needs to learn to handle digitalisation. So that people can sell and import products, compete in the market, learn how to produce and work on the field. All these new issues and dimensions must be integrated into agricultural policies in our countries. The right to land must also be regulated.

 

Women and young people need access to land. And they need financial support to cultivate this land.

 

This is the reason why farmers’ organisations are advocating that they be involved in the design of agricultural policies so that they will be inclusive and take into consideration the challenges being faced by the producers.

 

 

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ICTforAg 2022: Conference

An Initiative by GIZ Fond i4Ag

In March 2022, the virtual conference ICTforAg summons leading actors in the agrartechnology and food sector from low- and middle-income countries to exchange ideas advancing resilience, nutrition and agriculture-led growth.

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World Soil Conference ends with resolutions on drought management and land restoration

A contribution by GIZ

At the UNCCD COP15, the nearly 200 Parties met in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. A key goal is to halt the loss of fertile soils by 2030.

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Drugs and the Environment

A Contribution by Jorrit Kamminga

This year's United Nations World Drug Report highlights for the first time the nexus between illicit drugs and the environment. In view of climate change, it is time to feed the debate with facts and make drug policy greener

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From field to fan shop: how to increase supply

A contribution by Jan Rübel

Organic cotton is extremely popular – but farmers still find it difficult to change their conventional cultivation methods. A new project addresses this dilemma: Bundesliga football teams in Germany are promoting the switch to organic cotton in India. And thereby setting an example.

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Working with nature for diversity in farming, climate protection and empowerment

Ein Beitrag von Friederike Bauer

Germany joins the international Agroecology Coalition, reinforcing its commitment to fair, sustainable agriculture and ensuring the future viability of rural areas. By adopting a holistic approach, agroecology is helping to address the greatest challenges of our time: protecting the climate, combating hunger and preserving biodiversity.

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Circular Economy: From Innovation to Upscaling

A Contribution by the Project RUNRES

Recycling organic waste into soil amendments and animal feed through a transdisciplinary approach – this is what the RUNRES project, launched in four sub-Saharan African countries four years ago, seeks to achieve. Three of the project's scientists report.

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