Food loss reduction
Reducing food loss between farm and market could vastly improve global food security while reducing pressure on the environment
Crops - IFAD
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Crops
84%
of farms worldwide are less than 2 hectares
of farms worldwide are less than 2 hectares
62 million
IFAD project participants increased their production (2019 -2021)
IFAD project participants increased their production (2019 -2021)
77.4 million
IFAD project participants experienced economic mobility
IFAD project participants experienced economic mobility
©IFAD/Enoch Kavindele Jr
Small-scale farmers grow a third of the world’s food. In a rapidly changing world, they need support to do so sustainably.
Context
About a third of the world’s food is produced on farms less than two hectares in size. These small-scale farms together account for only 12 per cent of the world’s agricultural land, yet they’re vital for global food security – especially in developing countries.
As the world’s population grows, small-scale farmers are under pressure to produce even more. But the challenges they face have rarely been greater.
Our changing climate is altering growing conditions and making droughts and floods more frequent. These destructive weather events hit even harder where soils and natural environments are already degraded. The result is that production risks increase – and farmers produce less food.
In this difficult context, many small-scale farmers are not earning enough to get by, let alone invest in their farms. Some resort to unsustainable practices that degrade natural resources further, such as using too much water. This sends them into a downward spiral that makes them even more vulnerable to future crises.
Without better production practices, markets, storage and rural infrastructure or post-harvest processing and storage facilities, meanwhile, farmers often lose much of their harvest before it even reaches the market. This not only reduces the food available to consume, it wastes the natural and economic resources invested in producing it.
Opportunities
Small-scale farms have the potential to feed ever more of our planet’s growing population while conserving the environment. In fact, given the same conditions and access to inputs, smaller farms are more productive per hectare than larger farms – and they’re often more sustainable, too.
For example, they are more likely to grow a larger variety of crops than large farms. This is better for biodiversity while ensuring farmers and their communities consume diverse and nutritious diets. What’s more, crop variety provides a safety net so if one fails, there are others to get rural communities through difficult times.
But for small-scale farms to flourish, they need support to farm sustainably and adapt to climate change. They need better access to extension services, finance and financial information. They need agricultural technologies and quality inputs, like the right seeds and fertilizers. With these, small-scale farmers can invest in sustainably producing enough food to feed their families and to sell.
What IFAD does
IFAD’s approach to agriculture is context-specific. We help farmers overcome the specific challenges they face in increasing their yields, for example with sustainable soil and pest management, access to quality seeds and diverse crops.
We develop solutions that adapt existing farming systems to a changing climate. These solutions are designed to be accessible and affordable for small-scale farmers and to fit local conditions. At the same time, we integrate the use of a wide range of technologies to increase production while conserving nature.
In partnership with research institutes, we pursue innovative approaches such as intercropping, which protects crops against extreme heat. We promote digital solutions so that even farmers in the most remote regions can access inputs and advice. These include e-vouchers, weather information services, farming advice apps and online financial services.
We promote agroecological practices such as integrated livestock and crop farming, agroforestry, mulching, composting, green manure, minimum tillage and planting nitrogen-fixing crops. Working closely with farmers, we promote the efficient use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients. Where inorganic fertilizer is needed, we minimize costs and environmental impacts through practices like micro-dosing and fertilizer deep placement.
We enable farmers to access seeds and fertilizer, connecting them to agro-dealers, or supporting them to produce their own, for example through community seed production.
We support farmers in restoring and conserving ecosystems, protecting natural resources, improving soil quality and increasing the organic matter available for livestock feed, soil cover, compost or carbon capture.
We reduce food loss by supporting rural producers in improving post-harvest handling and storage of food.
We strengthen farmers’ organizations so they can better meet the needs of their members, obtain inputs and extension services, and ensure natural resources are managed sustainably.
We work with private sector organizations to offer bundled services and inputs, access to markets and finance, with a strong emphasis on sustainable practices.