Obviously, the "answer" is incredibly complex, and relies on a shift in policy and practice at just about every level, from production to table. The report does offer some clarity concerning one of the central debates in the food security conversation. The debate? Should we support subsistence (family) and small investor farmers (small-scale agriculture) in favour of large-scale farmers and global farming investment (large-scale agriculture)? As with most debates, it's not so cut and dry. The more important question, and the key learning for me with this report, seems to revolve around High External Input (HEI) and Low External Input (LEI) agricultural practices.
In general terms, HEI agriculture refers to industrial agriculture, a system of production that is characterised by high inputs of capital and intensive usage of technologies (modern machineries) and chemicals per land area, without taking into account environmental externalities. Conversely, LEI agriculture is associated with sustainable production methods. It involves a relatively low input of capital but is more labour-intensive, relative to the area of land farmed, and focuses on maintaining the long-term ecological health of farmland.
Contrary to what I originally thought, LEI is not just for small-scale farming. Adoption of LEI by large-scale farming is widely known and documented. For me, LEI agriculture seems to have the long-view in mind, whereas, HEI agriculture seems more concerned with short-term gains at the expense of the future health and wellness of everything from the soil to the people and communities. However, whichever method you favour, or imagine to be the solution to feeding the growing global population, as usual, the solutions seem to lie in assessing the right blend of all of the farming practices to meet the unique needs of a specific region and community.
Enter my good friend policy. Oxfam makes the most compelling case I've encountered for the importance of "developing a country-led long-term vision" to "ensure food security, poverty reduction, and protection of the environment." Oxfam recommends a four-pronged approach, that includes numerous examples of successful adoption of these principles.
- Support subsistence farmers to cope with risks and vulnerability.
- Empower smallholder farmers, especially women, with capacity, finance, and a regulatory framework that encourages organisation and enhances productivity.
- Regulate agro-industrial operations to enhance social benefits and good environmental stewardship.
- Promote synergies between smallholder and agro-industrial operations, building on complementarities and linkages wherever possible.
And the choir says? Amen.Whatever mix of the four-pronged approach is adopted, major commitment and investment by governments, international donors, and private-sector actors, reversing the trend of the past 20 years, will be crucial. Much of the failure of agriculture to achieve its potential is institutional. Support by the state has been unresponsive to the needs of the poor, and inefficient in marketing producers' output, sometimes preventing the natural development of markets for producers. Public institutions need to be strengthened in their capacity to develop an appropriate blend of policies, regulatory frameworks, and investments to re-launch the agricultural sector.
