The future of food rests in the resilience of smallholder farmers. Despite their critical role in feeding the world, they face immense challenges. Empowering them with sustainable solutions is not just an investment in agriculture – it is an investment in humanity’s future.

—

This adage resonates deeply across Asia, where smallholder farmers are the backbone of food production. Despite producing around 70% of the region’s food, these farmers are often trapped in a cycle of poverty, malnutrition, vulnerability to climate change, unpredictable markets, and lack of access to technology and financing.

Obstacles Facing Smallholder Farmers

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), of the 570 million farms worldwide, 475 million are smallholder farms. 74% of them are located in Asia, where they account for about 60% of all agricultural production. These farmers are crucial contributors to food security yet, despite their critical role, they contend with numerous obstacles that undermine their productivity and livelihoods.

Outdated farming practices and limited access to quality seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation resources impede farmers ability to meet market demands. Many smallholders lack exposure to modern technology and digital tools such as soil sensors, weather monitoring devices, e-commerce platforms, crop and livestock management tools etc. due to lack of digital infrastructure, internet connectivity, and electricity in rural areas. This further hampers their capacity to adapt to evolving agricultural trends. Financial constraints exacerbate these issues, as the limited access to formal credit systems leaves them unable to invest in improved techniques or diversify their crops.

Further, the increasing impact of climate change compounds smallholders’ struggles where rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events disrupt farming cycles and threaten food security across the region. For example, in 2022, floods in Bangladesh destroyed crops that would have fed 10 million people for a month.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has found that, without adaptation measures, climate change is expected to reduce rain-fed rice yields by 20% by 2050. This vulnerability is particularly concerning, given the widespread poverty and malnutrition among smallholder communities. According to the World Bank, nearly 300 million people in Asia live on less than $2.15 a day, and over 418 million are undernourished, including many who depend on farming for their livelihoods.

Rising input costs, such as those for fodder, seeds, and fertilizers, further strain smallholder budgets. For instance, fodder prices in India have surged by over 30%, squeezing the already limited profits of livestock farmers. At the same time, stagnant market prices prevent farmers from offsetting these rising expenses, worsening their financial difficulties.

Additionally, smallholders often face significant barriers in accessing profitable markets. The lack of direct market linkages forces them to rely on intermediaries who offer low prices and diminish their earnings. Accordingly to a Reserve Bank of India’s research paper, Indian farmers receive just one-third of the final price, while wholesalers and retailers take most of the profit. Without the ability to aggregate produce or negotiate competitive terms, many farmers struggle to secure fair prices for their labor.

Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach to empower smallholder farmers and ensure their contributions to food systems and rural economies are recognized and rewarded. 

Strengthening Value Chains for Smallholder Success

Inclusive value chains are essential to empower smallholders and ensure their success in the agricultural landscape. Integrating smallholders into larger, more formalized market systems allows them to gain access to resources, technology, and networks necessary to compete in today’s economy. This involves strengthening their ability to mass produce, access better prices, and negotiate fair terms with buyers.

Inclusive value chains also ensure that marginalized groups – especially women – are given equitable opportunities to participate and benefit from these systems. Supporting smallholders with fair market access improves income and contributes to food security and resilience across rural communities. 

For instance, the Hatching Hope program, an initiative co-created by Heifer International and Cargill, is supporting women farmers in Odisha, India, by helping them engage in the poultry value chain, improving their incomes while enhancing household nutrition through backyard poultry production.

The Need for Sustainable Food Production

Switching to sustainable agriculture and livestock management methods is crucial for addressing the challenges smallholders face and warding off the effects of climate change. 

Heifer International for instance is supporting smallholders in Asia to adopt regenerative agriculture and climate smart practices. In Nepal, it is transforming livestock management for smallholder farmers by shifting from traditional extensive grazing to sustainable, climate-resilient practices. Besides, adopting sustainable farming practices offers several key benefits for smallholder farmers. Practices, such as crop rotation, agroforestry, and organic farming enhance productivity; strengthen resilience; and equip farmers to adapt and thrive despite the growing challenges posed by a changing climate.

Furthermore, practices that improve soil health, such as composting and cover cropping, help sequester carbon and boost water retention, contributing to climate action. Additionally, sustainable practices lead to higher productivity and income for smallholders, playing a crucial role in reducing poverty and hunger.

The Power of Collectives

Heifer International plays a crucial role in empowering smallholder farmers, particularly women, by supporting the formation of locally-led self-help groups and cooperatives. These farmer collectives are key to overcoming the challenges smallholders face, such as limited access to resources, technology, finance, and markets. This approach shifts women’s relationships with their families, communities, markets, the private sector, and the government. 

By bringing farmers together, these collectives provide a platform for knowledge sharing, training, and access to critical resources that help improve production, strengthen market access, and enhance bargaining power. Through collective action, smallholders can achieve economies of scale, negotiate better terms, and foster partnerships with the private sector, while also advocating for supportive government policies. 

Heifer’s “Bihar Sustainable Livelihood Development” program in India aims to improve nutrition and incomes for 70,000 smallholder families by providing training and financial services. Through self-help groups, farmers like Seema Kumari, member of Sita Mahila self-help group have learned sustainable farming practices, eliminating chemical inputs and reinvesting savings into small businesses, enhancing their economic resilience.

Supporting Policies for Smallholder Farmers: A Call to Action

We need targeted policies that prioritize smallholders’ needs. Governments should ensure access to resources, technology, and affordable credit to help farmers invest in sustainable practices and improve livelihoods. Training programs that equip smallholders with the skills needed for sustainable farming will help uplift smallholders.

As we face unprecedented challenges in our global food systems, it is critical to stand in solidarity with smallholder farmers vital to food security and environmental sustainability. 

Heifer International is committed to supporting smallholders in Asia through innovative programs that promote sustainable agriculture, improve livelihoods, and foster self-reliance – but we cannot do this alone. We call on policymakers, multi/bi laterals, philanthropies, and businesses to prioritize investments in inclusive agricultural value chains and farmer collectives.

Supporting smallholder farmers is key to building resilient rural economies, reducing poverty, and ensuring access to nutritious food for all.

The post Smallholder Farmers in Asia: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path to Sustainable Food Production appeared first on Earth.Org.