Small-Scale Traditional Farming is the Only Way to Avoid Food Crisis, UN Researcher Says

Governments must shift subsidies and research funding from agro-industrial monoculture to small farmers using 'agroecological' methods, according to the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. And as Nafeez Ahmed notes, her call coincides with a new agroecology initiative within the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

Industrial agriculture grabs 80% of subsidies and 90% of research funds


"Empirical and scientific evidence shows that small farmers feed the world. According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 70% of food we consume globally comes from small farmers", said Prof Elver.

Small-Scale Traditional Farming is the Only Way to Avoid Food Crisis, UN Researcher Says

Small scale farming has always been an important cottage industry, it is not surprising the UN sees it as being important to feeding the masses. Sustainable farming is becoming a necessity as more farmlands become non productive from commercial farming techniques and over farming.

Hopefully the UN will get a clue soon and start teaching people aquaponics (and giving out grants to communities to start their own large systems) because AP is even better than traditional farming, doesn't need dirt at all, and uses ~5% of the water that dirt farming does; the food also grows faster.

Save the dirt farming for stuff you can't grow any other way.

originally posted by: AlaskanDad

Governments must shift subsidies and research funding from agro-industrial monoculture to small farmers using 'agroecological' methods, according to the UN's Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. And as Nafeez Ahmed notes, her call coincides with a new agroecology initiative within the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization.

Industrial agriculture grabs 80% of subsidies and 90% of research funds


"Empirical and scientific evidence shows that small farmers feed the world. According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 70% of food we consume globally comes from small farmers", said Prof Elver.

Small-Scale Traditional Farming is the Only Way to Avoid Food Crisis, UN Researcher Says

Small scale farming has always been an important cottage industry, it is not surprising the UN sees it as being important to feeding the masses. Sustainable farming is becoming a necessity as more farmlands become non productive from commercial farming techniques and over farming.

I heartily agree; it's not going to be easy. Land need to be acquired, millions of people need to be trained in, my preference, biodyamic farming methods.

I know many people who would adore working hard on farms if they could make a fair living doing it. It's (farming) is in many people's blood.

Just as signalfire said, you don't need dirt and you don't need a lot of space. If you can't out then go up.

For example Google DIY vertical hydroponics.

a reply to: FyreByrd

I had to search for Biodynamic Agriculture, manure and compost and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants.

Thats how I garden, the goal is to keep adding to and building the soil for better gardens each year, soil in the fields would benefit from the same philosophy.

I have felt for a long time that this topic needs more attention and investment by government and local communities alike (although Gov. isn't going to invest in something that will help people become More self-sufficient).


Remember the dust bowl? Excessive large-scale farming and destruction of soil content led to all sorts of problems here in the U.S. because we stripped the dirt of all it's valuable nutrients, repeatedly, season after season.

Now we are beginning to see this on a much grander scale - with droughts, sinkholes, volatile weather patterns and our industrialized agricultural system that supports virtually the entire population.

If there was EVER a time to start jumping on the band-wagon for this, it's now. I have begun by building a compost "bank" with my coffee grounds and whatever other organic material will be suitable for creating rich dirt to grow food in. Let's go people, self-sufficiency and living With nature instead of against it! Take your destiny into your own hands!!
a reply to: AlaskanDad

a reply to: TheLieWeLive

I have been looking into a small hydro kitchen garden;

thanks for video's!

In America we have a history with small farms, just a couple of decades ago the state of Nebraska had 30,000 small family owned farms, today that number is around 3,000 farms.

Many of us remember the Farm Aid concerts of the 80's and 90's but if everyone needs food why did the small farms fail? You need only look at government and the agro industries, at the will of the industry government continues to add regulation that often takes away any profit a small family farm makes. Just like government benefiting wal mart these industries don't want competition, so they legislate farm bills and regulation that industry can abide by but are really designed to cripple the family farm. They call this capitalism.

You should take some time to see what a farm has to go threw to produce and offer chickens and eggs to sale to the public and you will see why there are not many family farms anymore. Look at the zoning and other land use laws. However with produces like rabbits there is next to no regulation because there are no large scale rabbit industry to effect legislation and government oversight, but you just try to open your own dairy.

Hopefully the winds of change are blowing because a huge new markets are growing with the grow locally movement. If you wish to eat healthy and be healthy avoid corporate food, because there number one goal is profit and not to provide healthy foods.

Governments are out for there own best interests and your health doesn't matter to the bottom line and the potential taxes they can collect, the environment doesn't matter either.

I would love to be involved in setting up and operating a organic dairy, and chicken, rabbit, aquaponic, spice, fruit and vegetable, vermaculture farm. Customers are demanding more than wal marts produce department, dairy and meat departments. This might be another wave of the future concerning customer demand, we will see.

I'm in agreement with this. I think it is better to have a lot of small farmers than a hundred big farmers. I think sending big quantities of perishable food clear across the country is a poor policy too. The food needs way to much preservation chemistry added to look good that long.

Also, big produce processing plants cause diseases to be spread more widely than small community marketing. We don't need all the selection either, having four kinds of lettuce and a couple different types of packaging of each is ridiculous. Lots of waste that way which causes increased costs.

What happened to supporting your local farmers? I do believe in food inspectors in processing facilities but am very aware that big processing facilities only have one inspector a lot of times while small processing facilities also have one. Which facility would you rather buy meat from, a place that processes ten cows or one that processes a thousand with the one inspector.

permaculture food forests are the way to go.....even down to the suburban yard that is full of ornamental plants should be replaced....www.foodforest.com.au...
www.permaculture.org...

a reply to: AlaskanDad

Absolutely amazing! "Empirical and scientific evidence shows that small farmers feed the world. According to the UN Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO), 70% of food we consume globally comes from small farmers." 70%!!! ...But the big guys get all the tax breaks, cash and everything else. Go figure.


F&S&

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

One of the things I have noticed is how few fruit trees there are these days in comparison to when I was a kid in the late 60's and seventies. None of kids went hungry during the summer, from plums to apples there were plenty of fruit trees in yards and alleys, if fruit was laying on the ground under the trees that was an invitation to pick a snack.

It is a shame that the number of home gardens has fallen so low, I think a large part of that was with the two working parent households there was less time for gardening.

Many years ago human excrement was spread on the land, which kept the land 'in good heart' now, because of all the drugs and other crap humans take, it cannot be spread on the land, so land is becoming next to useless with out artificial chemicals, which leach into streams and rivers and slowly destroy them with overproduction of aquatic plants, anyway, more plant material needs to be spread on the land, it used to be that land was allowed to lie fallow for every third year to help with humus, and crop rotation, not much of that these days.
I'm not a farmer, although I worked on one when I left education, for a while, but I don't know what the answer is.

originally posted by: AlaskanDad
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

One of the things I have noticed is how few fruit trees there are these days in comparison to when I was a kid in the late 60's and seventies. None of kids went hungry during the summer, from plums to apples there were plenty of fruit trees in yards and alleys, if fruit was laying on the ground under the trees that was an invitation to pick a snack.

It is a shame that the number of home gardens has fallen so low, I think a large part of that was with the two working parent households there was less time for gardening.

And local government trashing anything green more than 3 inches tall.

This is great! Hopefully more interest will continue to turn the tides in the direction of more personal food production. There has been a resurgence in the use and awareness of heirloom seeds. People have been working hard in recent decades to improve tree stock to be hardier and more fruitful in more extreme climates. Farmers markets have been sprouting up everywhere, at least here in the US. It's wonderful to see the recent changes in our food system. Articles like this will only serve to make more people aware of the importance of our food, and how it is produced.

Small scale farms are wonderful places to introduce to our children. Showing them directly where their food comes from helps to spark that interest in the cycle. Springtime is especially magical for the little ones, there are so many babies. It also teaches them about the cycle of renewal. The plants and animals produce the food for us, but also sustain each other through good composting practices.

We have gardens, fruit trees and rabbits. It's all on a very personal scale right now, but once all plans are in production, I will be spending more time at the markets. It's a great, rewarding way to supplement life.

Thank you for the change of pace this morning.

a reply to: LDragonFire

Your post is both informative and thought provoking, thanks!

I find it sad what the local farms of the past have de-evolved to, no more animals and hard work. Now a days it has more to do with driving tractors, and getting low wages for the effort, got to keep corporate dividends high and wages low to control the masses.

What ever happened to a fair days wages for a fair days work?

Once again I see a lot of the problem comes from those low life lobbyists and their masters! And of course the scum sucking politicians lining up for the handouts, you know they just want everything for free!

originally posted by: TheLieWeLive
Just as signalfire said, you don't need dirt and you don't need a lot of space. If you can't out then go up.

For example Google DIY vertical hydroponics.

I am very happy that ther are other aquaponics fans on here, I am currently working on an urban mini system rotating vertical growbeds.

As to the op it is very good to know that such a large organasition can figure out what most of us took as quite obvious anyway.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

yeah well... good luck with that idea...
Supreme Court hands Monsanto victory over farmers on GMO seed patents, ability to sue

When you have mega Corps like Monsanto, who Sue's Farmers--- Who Dare to Save Seeds?
Then someone like the Supreme Court backs them up...
you can pretty much kiss Small scale farming 'adiós y buena suerte' !

a reply to: HardCorps

Monsanto is a four letter word with a few letters leftover!

Monsanto and Corporate Government have been tied at the hip for years:

"When Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of Searle, that conglomerate manufactured aspartame. For 16 years the FDA refused to approve it, not only because its not safe but because they wanted the company indicted for fraud. Both U.S. Prosecutors hired on with the defense team and the statute of limitations expired. They were Sam Skinner and William Conlon. Skinner went on to become Secretary of Transportation squelching the cries of the pilots who were now having seizures on this seizure triggering drug, aspartame, and then Chief of Staff under President Bush's father. Some of these people reach high places. Even Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas is a former Monsanto attorney. (Monsanto bought Searle in 1985, and sold it a few years ago). When Ashcroft became Attorney General, Thompson from King and Spalding Attorneys (another former Monsanto attorney) became deputy under Ashcroft. (Attorneys for NutraSweet and Coke). newswithviews.com

Donald Rumsfeld never served on the board or held any office at Monsanto, but Monsanto must occupy a soft spot in the heart of the former defense secretary. Rumsfeld was chairman and C.E.O. of the pharmaceutical maker G. D. Searle & Co. when Monsanto acquired Searle in 1985, after Searle had experienced difficulty in finding a buyer. Rumsfeld’s stock and options in Searle were valued at $12 million at the time of the sale. bartlettandsteels.com

This article is the source of the above quotes.

There is lots of conspiracy speculations about Monsanto; we can see Monsanto is good for corp profits, small farms not as much.

a reply to: AlaskanDad

HEMP for VICTORY!!