2015-06_WFO_Farmletter_ENG_web

WFO F@rmletterEDITORIALmeans of coping with adverse weather conditions. At thesame time, farmers are also building their resilience lookingfor solutions to adapt to climate change. Research andextension services are needed to better understand howagricultural producers will be affected by climate evolution,to adapt constantly to the projected changes in precipitation,temperature, extreme weather events and even higheratmospheric carbon levels.Farmers, especially women farmers, interact daily with theenvironment, so they are key drivers in the developmentof sustainable agricultural practices using innovativesustainable energy techniques and renewable materials fortheir families, communities and markets, allowing livelihoodsto have a positive effect in the whole society. Innovation isessential at the farm level and throughout the agriculturalproduct supply chain, including the adoption of technologiesto increase output and efficiency, increased traceability inthe food supply chain, branding, marketing of products, thequality and the origin of agricultural products, and manyothers factors that contribute to success.As Agriculture is an economic sector, a virtual cycle canbe established only when farmers are compensated withproper income for their work. Furthermore, profitabilityensures that farming remains a viable, sustainable careeroption for young people and supports transitioning betweengenerations. Profitability is needed for agriculture andfarmers to be able to compete with alternative employmentin the city and to make further investments in the social andenvironmental pillars of sustainability. In this perspective,Farmers require reasonable farm gate prices. In a food supplychain where Farmers are clasped between the previousand the following ring of the chain, farmers are most oftenprice takers with little bargaining power constraining theiradaptability to the market.As a matter of fact, the multifunctional role of agricultureshows the intrinsic tendency of the sector to strive forsustainability with positive effects for the whole society.As the Declaration drafted by farmers of the World states,Farmers stand ready to keep performing their role of feedingthe planet, providing energy for life. In order to address thischallenge, it is of the utmost importance that all stakeholders,Governments, private sector, international organizations,research institutes and the civil society, acknowledge thecentral role of farmers and join forces to recognize andrespect such critical role for the whole humanity.In this perspective, we really hope that this importantevent of EXPO Milan 2015 can foster such process for thewellbeing of the present and future generations.4

FEEDING THE PLANET, ENERGY FOR LIFE. THE FARMERS’ PERSPECTIVE.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.We, farmers of the world, men, women and youth, taking care of small, medium and largescale farms and cooperatives, recognize that Agriculture, includingcrops, horticulture, feedstock, livestock, breeding, fisheries and forestry, is at the heart of sustainable development. Farmers and rural communities are thestewards of food security, nutrition and biodiversity conservation. Farmers feed the planet, producing Energy for Life, transportation and heat and are integralto support sustainable development, globally. However, we also feel humble facing the responsibilities that come with the tasks of feeding the world and caringfor the earth.As farmers, we are tasked to produce enough quality and safe food at reasonable prices in order to support the achievement of food security for all. In a worldthat is continuously growing, the Food and Agriculture Organization projects that agricultural production must increase by 60% globally to meet the foodproduction demand that will be required to feed the 9.2 billion people who will inhabit our planet in 2050. Farmers produce a wide variety of food for yearround consumption. This variety provides a balanced diet with high nutritional value vegetables, fruits, grains and animal products, and is key to end all formsof malnutrition and ensure healthy lives for all. In this regard, Cooperatives, defined by the United Nation as “business model with a social conscience” in orderto underline their capability to strike a balance between pursuing profit and meeting the needs of members and their communities, play an important role inimproving food security and contributing to the eradication of hunger.We, as farmers, deliver growth and employment by producing products for further processing and trade, thus improving the economic outcomes of farmers andall of society. However, throughout its long existence and contemporary practice, agriculture does more than just producing food and feed. Feed has fueled packanimals. Animals have been used for fishing, and oilseeds, olive oil and beeswax lighting offer other examples.The agricultural sector will make a significant contribution in increasing renewable energy in the global energy mix, through biofuels, biomass and innovativetechnology. With price volatility and environmental concerns around fossil fuels, there is a renewed focus on identifying stable alternative sources of energy.We, farmers, have found innovative solutions to clothe humanity and provide building material with a view to increasing sustainability of current materials inthe supply chain. With a global movement towards more sustainable products and sustainably sourced inputs throughout supply chains, the role of agriculturein clothing humanity, providing building materials and consumers products, is only expected to grow. Agriculture, especially forestry, produces valuable rawmaterial for building and other industrial purposes. However, the role of the agricultural sector as producer of raw materials has been displaced by alternativesbased on fossil fuels. Concrete demonstrations that agricultural waste products can be turned to fuel and high value products establish agricultural products asmore sustainable than fossil fuel derived ones. Growing food, fiber and fuel together will progressively improve global resource efficiency and be instrumentalin mitigating climate change.The multifunctional role of agriculture shows the intrinsic tendency of the sector to strive for sustainability, making efficient use of natural resources and takingcare of the land and the natural resources. Research and extension services to better understand how agricultural producers will be affected by climate change isneeded in order to adapt constantly to the projected changes in precipitation, temperature, extreme weather events and even higher atmospheric carbon levels.Forests play a critical role in climate change mitigation and adaptation and ensuring clean water supply.We, farmers, face the major ongoing challenge of climate change in our daily work and lives. Famers have to adapt constantly to climate instability by implementingresilient solutions to mitigate its effects on farm enterprises. Farmers and farm operations, if economically sustainable, are an essential contribution to mitigatethe overall effects of climate change, at the farm, landscape as well as at global level. Although famers have shown incredible resilience to weather events andclimate change, a greater effort must be expended on adapting to the significant challenges that are presented as climate change gathers space.We, farmers, have natural roles as stewards of the land. Agricultural activity has shaped the global landscape and defined many cultural groups. However oursoils are under threat from encroaching desertification, erosion, sub/urbanization and other developments. Farmers are partners in soils preservation andimprovement through combating desertification, improvements in water quality and management, providing habitat for species at risk and contributing tobiodiversity worldwide. It is in the interest of farmers to keep land and soils healthy and fertile, as this is vital to the success of farming.According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation around 1.3 billion tonnes per year of all food produced globally for human consumption is lost or wasted.Agricultural cooperatives due to their structure and collective management of resources could significantly contribute to the eradication of those factors thatcause food waste, such as overproduction or inadequate storage and transport infrastructure.Farmland provides green space, strengthens links between people and nature and can contribute to safeguarding the world’s natural heritage. Agriculturalproduction supports rural communities’ social, cultural and economic base while providing sustainable tourism. Looking at long terms aim farmers, throughtheir cooperatives, play an important role in promoting sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental responsibility. The agriculturalsector provides both ‘flower’ and ‘fun’. True stewardship has definitely a cost to the farmer and although it provides benefits to the farmer as well, the biggestbenefit is for the society as a whole while the farmer is not well remunerated for the costs incurred in improving natural resource use, increasing biodiversityand protecting natural amenities and heritage.Beside marketable goods and services, the farming community provides a broad range of nonmarketable, public goods and services to society as a whole. Asmarket oriented entrepreneurs in the global marketplace, farmers continuously strive to deliver more using less. The inability of the market to integrate externalcosts and benefits in market prices hampers the balanced development of a multifunctional agricultural sector. Furthermore, as marketoriented entrepreneurs,farmers constantly strive to achieve evergreater efficiencies. An effective and efficient use of inputs leads to increased productivity and reduced environmentalimpacts. However, the provision of public goods is unfortunately very rarely recognized.In order to meet the needs of a growing world population, it is critical that farmers have access to secure land tenure, productive resources, inputs, markets,finance and collaterals. This includes crops insurance, energy, infrastructure, land, labour, research and development, education and training. These investmentswill enable farmers to implement innovative techniques and adopt the latest technologies to improve the sustainability of their operations and to produce thefood and products needed to meet growing demand.Access to credit is critical to all farming businesses, regardless their size (small, medium and large scale) and geographical location. Huge work has gone intoproviding access to micro finance for individual farmers, and this effort should continue. However, to further develop the potential of the agriculture sector allfarmers or groups of farmers need access to investment capital to set up activities providing added value in one way or another, with great focus on the missingmiddle.In addition, farmers are increasingly exposed to volatile world market prices and natural risks, experiencing input cost and price fluctuations, resulting in pressureon farm incomes and overall viability. Government and industry support is required to ensure that farm enterprises can manage their risks and deal with volatility

allowing them to ensure a secure supply of food and other materials.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.We, farmers, have contributed to and have been strong innovators since the advent of agriculture since ancient times. For instance, by implementing watersystem in impervious areas, improving the resilience of plants through grafting or even, adopting appealing packaging for presenting products. In this context,innovation is essential at the farm level and throughout the agricultural product supply chain, including the adoption of technologies to increase output andefficiency, increased traceability in the food supply chain, branding, marketing of products, the quality and the origin of agricultural products, and many othersfactors that contribute to success.Farmers need access to the market assured by an enabling framework, which grants investments in qualitative and reliable infrastructure for transport, shipping,warehousing, cooperative models, which facilitate their full involvement in the value chain allowing to exploit the full benefit of the system. This will contribute tothe reduction of food losses and increase efficiencies along supply chains.We, farmers, need access to the ability to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to make continuous improvements to agricultural sustainability. Investmentsin education and capacity building will provide lasting returns. Farmers need the possibilities to acquire the appropriate knowledge and to become trueentrepreneurs. This is because the economic dimension of sustainable development is important as well as the social and environmental ones.We, farmers, require reasonable farm gate prices. In a food supply chain where farmers are clasped between the dealers and the input providers, farmers aremost often price takers with little bargaining power constraining our adaptability to the market. We are grateful for the ear and the confidence of consumers andwould like to develop this relationship. Acting collectively in cooperatives farmers are better able to take advantage of market opportunities and mitigate thenegative effects of food and other crises, but more needs to be done in terms of policies, transparent legislation, incentives and opportunities. We need all thesupport and creative thinking as we can to improve the farmers’ position in the value chain. Without strong farm gate prices and a fair remuneration for what weproduce there is no attractiveness, no renewable energy, no food security and no development in poor rural areas.The key issue to meet our challenges is to deliver profitability at the farm level. This ensures that farming remains a viable, sustainable career option for youngpeople and supports transitioning between generations. Profitability is needed for agriculture to be able to compete with alternative employment in the city andto make further investments in the social and environmental pillars of sustainability.Finally, the right to farm must leave the possibility to regions to develop their own agricultural potential. Focus on competitiveness cannot be at the expense ofdeveloping farming potential in other regions. Assuring the right to develop its own agricultural potential contributes to the goal of reducing inequality amongcountries. It also contributes to the achievement of food security and broadens the variety and hence resilience of the agrifood system as a whole. This goal mustbe shared by all stakeholders in the society. In this perspective, this must be recognized as a public good.In too many fora, at national, regional and international levels, farmers are marginalized and deprived of the right to speak and be listened to. We, farmers, needthe ear of decisionmakers. Policy makers must talk and listen to farmers rather than speak about farmers without us present.We, farmers, have and will continue to Feed the Planet and produce Energy for Life.

WFO F@rmletterEDITORIALFAO’S SUPPORTFOR THRIVINGRURAL PRODUCERORGANIZATIONS ANDCOOPERATIVESJosé Graziano da SilvaFAO DIRECTOR-GENERAL22015 marks the end of theMillennium DevelopmentGoals cycle and the beginningof the SustainableDevelopment era. We cancelebrate the fact that72 countries reached theMDG 1 hunger target of halving theproportion of undernourished peoplebetween 1990 and 2015. Worldwide,the number of hungry people inthe world has dropped by 216 million.We are going in the right direction butthere is no time for complacency: 795million remain hungry and the commitmentthat we must make – and aremaking – with the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) is to eradicatehunger and malnutrition.Farmers, and especially family andsmall-scale farmers and their organizations,have a central role to play inthis effort: they are the main food producersin most of the countries in theworld. At the same time, around 70%of the food-insecure worldwide live inrural areas in developing countries, andmost of them are subsistence farmerswho struggle to feed their families.As indicated in the 2014 State of Foodand Agriculture, more than nine out often farms in the world are family farms,representing the dominant formof farming in most countries. Thereare more than 500 million farms in theworld, of which at least 500 million areowned by an individual or a family andrely primarily on family labour. 72%of these farms in the world have lessthan 1 hectare of land. Although theyare the ones that manage the majorityof the world’s agricultural land andproduce most of the world’s food, theyface many challenges that reduce theircapacity to become food secure. Weaktenure rights as well as poor access tomarkets, natural resources, technologies,knowledge and financial servicesare only a few of these challenges.In order to face them, small-scale farmers,fisher folks, livestock keepersand forest users in developing countriesneed support. In the two last decades,new forms of organizational innovationshave emerged to provide aresponse to the numerous constraintsthat small producers face in rural areas.They range from formal organizationscovered by national legislation,such as cooperatives, producer organizationsand national farmers’ unions,to more informal self-help groups andassociations. This kind of farmer-ledcollective action has proven to be aviable solution for reducing povertyand eradicating hunger, food insecurityand malnutrition in most developingcountries.In particular, cooperatives and producerorganizations, as independent,non-governmental, democraticallycontrolled and member-driven ruralorganizations, have proved to be an effectivemeans for increasing agriculturalproductivity as well as for meetingsmall producers’ social and economicneeds.7

WFO F@rmletterEDITORIALMaurizio MartinaITALIAN MINISTER OF AGRICULTURAL, FOODAND FORESTRY POLICIESEXPO:THE FARMERS’PERSPECTIVEAA new model for thefuture developmentcan only go along withsmall-scale agriculturalgrowth and innovation.That is wherewe have to play ourmost important game, putting into placepolitical measures to fight and winover hunger and poverty.Expo is an event for farmers of all regionsof the world. They are the realprotagonists, those who have to besupported by the new global food policy.Our message is clear: work to ensurea future to everyone; and we haveto start from farmers in order to build anew world policy of development.The Milan event represents an occasionto gather, meet others and shareideas, and it is of utmost importance toinvolve farmers.They are the essence of the Exposition,the cornerstone of the primary sectoron the international level.We are talking about an army of morethan 500 million people producing themajority of global food, 80% in terms ofvalues, occupying 70-80% of businessterritory in this sector.Furthermore, on a sample of 570 millionworld farms, 90% are run by an individualor a family and rely on familylabour. These statistics from the reportThe State of Food and Agricolture (Sofi)released by FAO during the WorldFood Day, are at the basis of the debatecarried out during the World AgriculturalForum at Expo Milan 2015. Oneof the most important event of the last6 months of this universal exposition,at which more than 115 countries, 50ministries, 370 delegates and even the27 non-participating countries such asPakistan, South Africa and Australia,have taken part.It was a chance to introduce to theWorld the “Charter of Milan”, the documenton commitment and responsibilitiesthat will represent the ethicand cultural heritage of the event thattakes place in Milan.We proposed four challenges:1) a new relationship betweenecology and agriculture2) the support to family agricultureincome3) further innovation for smallproducers4) concrete legislations to ensurefair marketsItaly proposed itself, with a positive feedbackfrom all the other Countries, toact as a guide for a global reflection onthe future of the Planet.A future that encompasses granted,healthy and safe access to food for all,that inevitably requires a sustainableproduction.By 2050 the Earth will host a populationof almost 9 billion individuals, ifwe don’t manage to set a new developmentmodel within the next years,we will have to face even more severegeopolitical imbalances, than we havetoday.These six months of Expo will help usfind the most viable solution.9

WFO F@rmletterFARMELLANEOUSWe live in a world of paradox: first of all, the fact that amongmore than 800 million people, mostly farmers, suffer fromhunger because of the effects of a globalization without anyrules, that leads to food exploitation and speculation.Markets’ globalization, which was not followed by rules’globalization, has dramatically delegitimised food, to thepoint that we consider food like any other commodities, withthe negative effects that go from speculations on agriculturalraw materials to the theft of millions of hectares of fertilesoils that damages the poorest countries (the so-called LandGrabbing), up to the huge uncertainty about the redeemingpower of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs).The Expo is an opportunity to face this paradox, and tocarefully rethink the food production and distributionsystem. The aim is to create a model of sustainableecofriendly development that guarantees a social protectionand economic system, capable of ensuring a future toagriculture, and safe and accessible food to everyone, in Italyand in the poorest countries of the world.COLDIRETTI’SVISIONABOUTEXPO 2015Roberto MoncalvoCOLDIRETTI PRESIDENTThe Expo also represents an opportunity to accomplish anadequate social and economic recognition of the labour inthe fields that still lacks in the northern parts of the world aswell as in the southern.That is why Coldiretti has chosen to participate with thisstrong and clear message: “No farmers No party”.Because farmers are the real force of the Expo.It is now time to give the right recognition to the job of 1,5billions of farmers that work hard every day in the worldtrying to guarantee food for everyone and to defend theenvironmental quality and security.There is no Expo, no food and no life without the hard workin the fields.10

WFO F@rmletterFARMELLANEOUSCOLDIRETTI’SVISIONABOUTEXPO 2015Roberto MoncalvoCOLDIRETTI PRESIDENTExpo’s challenge is to feed the World with healthy, safe and enoughfood for everyone, promoting a sustainable development. As theItalian Agricultural Confederation, we have given a concretecontribution to the fulfilment of the “Charter of Milan”, taking partin the various preparatory tables.Also the contribution of the World Farmers’ Organisation will beimportant, through the activities of the General Assembly, that notby chance, this year, it will take place in Milan at the end of June. Wehave really appreciated the commitment established, to make ourCountry the leading of a global renewal path, that recognizes theright to nourishment, that contextually encourages towards thefight against waste that aims at: the biodiversity, the agroenergies,the research and the innovation.Innovation and research are particularly fundamental for theproductive world. In 2050 we will be 9 billion ( two billions morethan today) and we expect that 70% of the global population willmove to an urban context changing consumptions significantly,thanks to the average income per person that will reach 18.900dollars.Therefore, it will be necessary, as also the FAO confirms, toincrease the productions by 60% and to learn how to do it by usingless surface. Technologies can be engaged to improve the quality ofour productions. We farmers, use the water to cultivate the mainprimary good: food. We do not waste water, we use it to produce,but we find ourselves often in the dock. Surely we have to carry outan accurate managerial and economy policy of water resources,and thanks to the research and the innovation, we will be able tooptimise the use of water.Moreover, the research allows to increase plants resistance todiseases, to drought, to salinity of the soils and to floods, providingfood in those Countries where food security is at risk. Producingmore food in a sustainable perspective means to bear in mind,beyond the increasing of the population and the reduction of thesurface, also the effects of markets globalization, industries andcountries competitiveness, the development of pathogens thatinfluence productions, scenarios, economics and society.We will have to learn how to react to those challenges that affectthe current generations and the future ones, in which agricultureplays again a fundamental role. That is why the activity of theresearches is to guarantee a technological and cultural innovationin Italy. Today making innovation as regards to agriculture meansnot to deny technologies, if they are necessary to reach bettereconomic and environmental sustainable levels.It makes sense that it becomes the main objective for researchersas far as the agriculture is concerned. Moreover, doing so, with aperspective view, capable of leading us in the vanguard as factoryfarms, as a system and as a country. In this sense it is interestinga study from the University of California that promotes a form ofsustainable agriculture based either on the engineering geneticpractices, either on the biological agriculture.We are now building the world’s food future: to make the best ofit, we have to rely upon a framework as accurate as possible fromthe scientific point of view, without ideology. With the objective ofrealizing what Expo reminds us: feed the World.11

WFO F@rmletterFARMELLANEOUSThanks to Expo 2015, Feeding the planet, energy for life,themes such as food and water returned to be importantalso in politics, beyond expectations and women and men’scommon values from every part of the world.In looking ahead to the future, the global world returnsto investigate the complex system Nutrition-Agriculture-Environment, recognizing food, health and wellness as rights.The Cia (Italian Farmers’ Confederation), has contributed tothe Milan Charter by organizing a series of in-depth analysisnamed “The Territory as Destiny”.In the world it is necessary to review and to make innovationsin producing and distributing goods, exploring new paths,visions and relations between the productive sectors andbetween the city and the countryside.FEEDINGTHE PLANETWITH MOREAGRICULTURESecondo ScanavinoITALIAN FARMERS’ CONFEDERATION (CIA) PRESIDENTThe connection with the territory means combiningproductivity and competitiveness with sustainability; foodquality with the fulfillment of services, that values the naturalresources, the biodiversity, the landscape, the culture andthe knowledge of the communities.We have to direct to those productive models the policiesand also the scenarios of the scientific and technologicalresearch.The agriculture and the forestry are at the root ofmultifunctional industries that add essential services tothe primary food production for the mitigation of climatechanges, but also the production of renewable energies andof various raw materials, from the wood to textile fibers, asfar as exploring the new green chemical industries and greeneconomy.The agriculture and the forestry are central for a neweconomic circular vision that hinders at all levels thewastefulness, from food and water resources to rich soil,which is attacked by overbuilding or all too often abandonedto ruin.The Expo after decades appears to draw attention tothe agriculture and the food farming, but together withthe agriculture it is necessary to recognize the role andthe essential function of farmers, of those who practiceagriculture everyday in every part of the world.12

WFO F@rmletterFARMELLANEOUSEXPO 2015AND THECOOPERATIVEMODELAldo MattiaACTING PRESIDENT UE.COOPThe cooperation is a business model, characterized by itspeculiarities and it is globally spread. In fact, FAO’s data estimatethat the cooperation around the world ensured more than 100million jobs (20% more than multinational companies) and thatabout a billion people have chosen the cooperation as corporatemodel to conduct its business in a collective manner whilesafeguarding its independence.That is why the cooperation assumes a leading role in agricultureand food industries, where about 32% of global markets inthe sector are managed in a cooperative way. The value of thisbusiness model is not limited in these data due to the fact thateven if they are respectable, according to us, they do not havethe true essence of the business cooperative model. It means tounderstand a model, strongly inspired by democratic values, thathas at its centre the person and its contribution, rather than thereturn on capital. Besides, the cooperative model does not presententry barriers and it is also accessible to young people thanks toa minimum capital contribution, which, in particular, has proved tobe able to come into line with cultural and social variable changes.The importance that this cooperative phenomenon has takenover the years is also confirmed by the attention that the highestinternational representatives have recognized. In fact, 2012 wasdeclared by the UN as the International Year of Cooperativesand the Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has highlighted thestrong and inherent ability to contribute to the social inclusion,eradication of poverty and to enhancement of human dignity,leading characteristics to the achievement of the MillenniumGoals (post-2015).The European Union of cooperatives (UE.COOP) since itsestablishment has divided its activities based on a cooperativebusiness model and a growth model firmly based on principles ofsustainability, solidarity, subsidiarity and territoriality. Althoughmuch has been done and the mechanism is already operating,there are still many things to do. The cooperation needs policiesto promote the aggregate character, firstly including the need toarrange measures to achieve stable business collaboration for therealization of shared programmes both national and international,as well as credit instrument ad hoc, able to outdo the disadvantagethat the model suffers due to the fact of its endemic feature of lowcapitalization.Equal importance should be paid to the promotion of an efficientsystem, able to ensure the internationalization of cooperativesthat are already an aggregation tool of small and medium sizerealities, which alone would not be able to find a position intoforeign markets.It is the global dimension of views and objectives that allows tracinga parallelism between EXPO and the cooperative model: the firstone aims at connecting millions of people by raising their intereston universal topics, while the second one, because of the globalcharacter of the problems, wants to satisfy the collective needs.These needs are not only for the mere achievement of economicbenefits but are aimed to the promotion and the collectivemanagement of resources in order to promote the social welfare.In this situation, both EXPO – as a momentum of collectivediscussion – and cooperative movement, as a aggregate drivingforce of human energies and processor of production methods,are under the gaze of the global public opinion.We hope that both will be consistently able to reach theirobjectives.13

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICESMALAWIANSMALLHOLDERFARMERS CONTINUETO RAISE THE BARHIGHER IN TREEPLANTINGDyborn ChibongaCHIEF EXCUTIVE OFFICER NASFAMENASFAMTree Planting 1Every year in January,after the joy of the rain seasoncomes into full swingmembers of the NationalSmallholder Farmers Association ofMalawi always have one event to lookforward to; planting trees in their communities.Upon visiting Eunice Banda, asmallholder farmer from Muhawi village,Mzimba district located in the northernregion of Malawi she chants a song ofcelebration with her fellow women ofMuhawi Women’s Club; a song of ululationand triumph after they have soldover half of their 6,000 tree seedlings.Next on their agenda is to distribute theseseedlings among themselves to plantin their households and along the primaryschools which some of their children goto. But this is just a small fraction of thebigger picture; throughout the country,NASFAM members have done exactlywhat Banda and her fellow women havedone and even more.It is alarming to note the extent of environmentaldegradation that has occurredin Malawi over the past years; largeswathes of forests have disappeared andfertile soils have been lost due to erosion.Forest cover is being lost at the rate ofat 2.4 percent every year and more landcould become bare in the near future. Asa result, cases of soil erosion and floodingwill increase. It is against this backgroundthat NASFAM has over the years participatedactively in the national and globaleffort to reverse environmental degradationand build resilient communities andfarming systems in the wake of climatechange. One major area where the organisationhas registered enviable successis in tree planting.With support from Development Partnerssuch as IrishAid and the RoyalNorwegian Embassy, NASFAM has todate planted over 18 million trees inMalawi. Through farmer clubs and othergroups such as Muhawi Women’s Club,farmers develop their own tree nurseriesand set up plans on the areas to plant thesetree seedlings in their communities.NASFAMTree Planting 2“Every year we have more than 2,000tree seedlings to plant in our community.We have also adopted this as a businessventure where we sell some of the seedlingsto other organisations who plantin other areas. What is fascinating is thatout of the 30 of us women, each one of usgets to plant at least more than 10 treesevery year,” explains Banda, the Chairpersonfor Muhawi Women’s Club.Back in January this year, after persistentflooding had left thousands of smallholderfarmers homeless, and landless, NA-SFAM led by the theme “Do your part,plant a tree every year” launched the 2015tree planting season on 10th Januaryin Zomba district, south of Malawi. The14

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICEStheme was rolled out to demonstratethe holistic effort that is needed for eachcitizen to plant a tree every year in theirlocations.During the launch, in her speech the NA-SFAM Deputy Chief Executive OfficerDr Betty Chinyamunyamu explained thedamage to smallholder farmers causedby the floods which occurred in Malawiand how the organisation is encouragingits smallholder farmers to adopt plantingof trees as one good agricultural practicethat can enhance their livelihoods. Today,she reiterates this:“The intensity of floods which hit manyparts of the country this year was unprecedented.Smallholder farmers lostinputs such as seed and fertilisers whichwere already applied in their fieldsand they were not able to have moneyto plant again, and even if though somehad the money and the inputs, time forplanting crops like maize had alreadypassed,” said Chinyamunyamu. But theorganisation did not leave its memberswondering about with no pillar to hold onto. Early maturing and drought tolerantfood crops were provided for farmers toplant as a way through, but not as the finalsolution.NASFAMTree Planting 3“Relief items such as sweet potato tubersand sunflower seed were distributed forfarmers to replant but this was not enough.It is for this reason that we need moreefforts in programmes such as tree plantingwhich will help in efforts of mitigatingthe impacts of climate change,” explainsChinyamunyamu.It is known that every season, the treeplanting programme starts with sensitizationof farmers on the importance oftrees and the need to plant them on alarge scale. Community leaders and leadfarmers are sensitized and they take a leadingrole in the whole programme in orderto make sure there is local ownershipof the trees. Then relevant tree managementskills are transferred to the farmingcommunity through hands-on training.“Our actions are supported by the sensitizationwe carry out in our community.We make sure we transfer informationon the importance of planting trees to ourchildren, families and other individuals sothat they know the importance of why wedo what we do,” explains Banda.It is fertilizer trees such as Acacia polyacantha,Faidherbia albida, Senna spectabilis,Senna siamea and Tephrosia sppwhich have all contributed significantlyto the restoration of fertility in degradedsoils in addition to the many environmentalbenefits that are derived from them.Apart from tree planting, NASFAM furtherlooks at the soil health by rolling outprogrammes for smallholder farmers toplant leguminous seed such as pigeonpeas and groundnuts which restore andreplenish soil fertility.It is believed that through collective efforts,interventions such as these will goa long way in promoting the smallholderfarmer in becoming self productive andfood and income secure.15

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICESA BEST SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENTPRACTICE FOREXPO MILANO 2015• Planting hazelnuts on its own plantation;• Cooperating with local growers toselect the best adapted varieties ofhazelnuts;• Making hazelnut plantlets andplanting materials available to localgrowers;• Granting free know-how and technicalsupport to growers;FerreroDocumentationPlanting trust, the story of amutual collaboration whereknowledge and passion lead toa new way of doing agriculture.TThe pursuit of fresh andhigh quality hazelnuts isat the heart of Ferrero’sinnovative practice contributingto sustainablegrowth. Global hazelnutproduction wasn’t adequateto support fresh supplies all year-round,due to its northern hemispherepredominance.In 1994 Ferrero introduced in Chilehigh quality hazelnut plantation andcreated AgriChile.Through the key involvement of localcommunities, Ferrero created a sustainable,innovative and replicable model:• Ensuring the purchase of qualityhazelnuts based on internationalmarket prices.Today, with 14.000 ha, Chile is amongthe top hazelnut producing countries.This flourishing industry provides jobsfor low and middle classes, contributingto the country’s food security.Main Innovation DevelopedThe main innovation developed is a conceptof self-sustained agricultural supplychain introduced to produce, for thefirst time, hazelnuts in South America.To achieve this, Ferrero created Agri-Chile and promoted a unique system ofknowledge transfer by bringing Italianhazelnut farming methods and expertiseof global supply chain to local agriculture.Afterwards, farmers infusedtheir own local expertise in climaticconditions, crop management as well astraditional and innovative agriculturaltechniques.This replicable two-way knowledgetransfer created enough momentum forthe project to flourish. Even after thesupply chain establishment, Ferrero isstill providing the necessary know-howand support while benefiting from localexpertise and innovations. We foundthis the most effective way to achievea long-term, efficient and independentsupply chain where to source hazelnutsand ultimately contribute towards truefood security for the region.Background and ContextFerrero was driven to implement hazelnutproduction in Chile to assure a fresh16

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICESsupply of hazelnuts year-round and toexpand an industry largely limited toTurkey in terms of volumes. Chile maximizesits productive areas producingcash crops and importing some of thestaple food crops. By nature, many cashcrops are susceptible to climatic risks,creating volatile conditions.At the regional level, hazelnut cultivationcan help diversify agricultural productionwith a secure long-term cashcrop, providing increased food securityto the country.The hazelnut crop is a low inputs treecrop: it’s still rustic, resistant to manyadversities, easier and cheaper to managethan most other crops. Moreover,with the application of good managementpractices, it enjoys stable yieldsper hectare limiting additional inputsand their ensuing degradation to theenvironment.These are key features that provide ahigher and secure income for farmersand allow nutrition diversification forthe region.% OF POPULATION LIVING IN COUNTRY REGIONSTHE TABLE SHOWS HOW THE RATIO OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE RURAL AREAS IS PARTICULAR-LY HIGH FOR THE TWO REGIONS WHERE THE HAZELNUT PROJECT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED(MAULE AND ARAUCANIA). THIS MEANS A LARGE NUMBER OF POPULATIONS CAN BE INVOLVEDIN AND BENEFIT FROM THE NEWLY CREATED HAZELNUT SUPPLY CHAIN.Main Results AchievedFor Ferrero the replicable model resultedin a first reliable hazelnuts productionin the Southern Hemisphere, leadingto a fresh counter-cyclical supply.For the Chilean new hazelnut farmingcommunities, AgriChile’s model has demonstratedhigher hazelnut yields comparedto historical areas of hazelnutproduction. It ensures a stable incomeeven through poor production years,combined with low and stable input requirements.A thriving agricultural sector can providemany benefits to the impactedcommunities, and AgriChile is alreadyreaping some of them, through a securefood supply both directly and indirectly.The AgriChile project promoted sinceits start the development of many newskills among the workers and the creationof many new managerial jobs. It hasalso inspired many new science graduates,dramatically increasing the culturalniveau (not to mention the quality oflife) of the local population.CHILE’S HAZELNUT EXPORTSAS SEEN IN FIGURE, WITH THE NET MARGIN (GREEN), A.K.A. FARMER INCOME PER HECTARE,HAZELNUTS FALL SECOND AS THE MOST PROFITABLE OF THE TYPICAL CASH CROPS FROM THEREGION. MOREOVER, WHILE CHERRIES ENJOY THE HIGHEST MARGIN, THEY SUFFER FROM HI-GHER SEASONAL CLIMATIC RISKS THAN HAZELNUTS DO.17

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICESbest performing varieties, where theirexpertise was fundamental. They andthe research institutions we collaboratedwith were continuously providingdetailed assessments on performanceto guide towards the bestselection. Even though these pioneerfarmers had to undergo this difficulttrial period, their involvement led toan ownership of the eventual success,a strong sense of collaboration and thecreation of a robust root for the industry.This was key to creating the innovativecollaborative approach betweenthe local producers and AgriChile.CHILE’S HAZELNUT EXPORTSFIGURE SHOWS CHILE’S HAZELNUT EXPORTS BY VOLUME, VALUE AND PRICE. THE GRAPH BE-GINS AROUND WHEN THE CHILEAN INDUSTRY BEGAN TO EXPORT ITS PRODUCTION. OVER THE-SE 10 YEARS, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN VOLUME AND AN EVEN FURTHER INCREASE IN VALUECAN BE OBSERVED. A DIRECT LINK TO FERRERO’S INNOVATIVE APPROACH CAN BE DRAWN.Main Beneficiariesand Needs AddressedAgriChile positively impacts on manypeople’s life, especially:• Young workers looking for a jobare able to be employed and thusreach an economic security ensuringthem the possibility of planninga future, avoiding emigration;• Ambitious workers are offered careeropportunities and better economicand cultural conditions;Main Difficulty or ObstacleFerrero arrived in Chile with the intentionto plant Italian varieties of hazelnuttrees, while also testing others.After 10 years of trials, one of the varietieson which Ferrero was hoping tosee success from largely underperformed,in terms of productivity, thus puttingthe whole project at risk.This has led to a strategic engagementwith the local farmers to identify theEnvironmental ImpactHazelnut cultivation is a perennial system,which brings many environmentaladvantages over other crops. Theproject area has its own environmentalcharacteristics in terms of climate, soilcomposition and water availability. Byembracing them, we make sure thatthe ecosystem is neither being stressednor underused. When stressed itleads to high inputs turning the systemfragile; when underused its lack of performancemust be offset by a greateruse of land and resources.AgriChile aimed to find land wherehazelnut systems worked in harmonywith the local environment’s capacity.• Students can benefit from specializedtraining opportunities thatcould lead to job placement;• Farmers can diversify their activitiesadding a new crop that guarantees:Independence and resiliencedue to the hazelnut technicalsupport service, diversification ofincome, accessibility to inputs forgreater return, transferability ofmachinery, pioneering opportunity,market access;• Local politicians can provide theircommunities of shock resistantlocal economy through hazelnutcultivation; technical elevation ofthe agricultural workforce, opportunitiesfor the next generations toremain in agriculture.HEADCOUNT OF AGRICHILETHE GRAPH CLEARLY SHOWS HOW AGRICHILE HAS PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED THE NUMBEROF PEOPLE HIRED FOR THE PROJECT. THE COMPANY HAS NOTICEABLY REPLACED TEMPORARYSTAFF WITH PERMANENT AND STABLE WORK OPPORTUNITIES.18

WFO F@rmletterCASE STUDIES & BEST PRACTICESThe management of the areas thus minimizesinputs (water and fertilizers)all the while producing optimal yields.This has led to a healthier productivesystem where:• Water is used efficiently, withoutovercoming the system’s naturalcapacity;• More CO2 is absorbed and converted;• Full land potential is unlocked, providingconstant and minimized inputsto the system;• Ever increasing quality is obtainedSustainability, Transferabilityand DuplicabilityAgriChile started in 1994 and, afteryears of trials, the plantations becameproductive in 2002. Today, theChilean infused hazelnut industry isthriving and growing in a sustainableway, as reported by the Chilean Ministryof Agriculture.AgriChile has paved the way for 6other similar Agricompanies aroundthe world.In 2009, Ferrero came to South Africawith the same objective and plantedthe continent’s very first hazelnutcommercial plantation. Today, theinitial results are promising and helpconclude that the original model isin fact replicable: AgriSudafrica hasestablished 450 hectares of plantations,several hectares of varietytrials in various areas as well as acommercial nursery.Outside of the Hazelnut industry,this model brings success.The same steps were brought to Colombiawhere Ferrero together witha local partner is attempting to transferthis model to the outgrowers inthe very same way, in order to helpthe cocoa industry reflourish in itsnative lands.19

WFO F@rmletterFARMATORYMatteo BartoliniPRESIDENT OF CONSEIL EUROPÉENDES JEUNES AGRICULTEURS (CEJA)YOUNGFARMERSAS ENERGYFOR LIFETThe term “young farmers”is one which has gainedtraction of late, particularlyin Europe. Consideringthat, on average, a third offarmers in the EuropeanUnion (EU) are now overthe age of 65, it is no surprise that theissue of attracting more young entrepreneursto the sector, as well as giving themthe tools necessary to start farming andstay afloat in it, has come to the fore ofthe debate.Not just in Europe but across the world, people are leaving rural areas to find better prospectsin urban ones. The need to redress this flow and rebalance the demographics ofglobal agriculture has become an urgent one – because, as the title of this piece suggests,young farmers embody energy for life.Young farmers can be defined as energy for life in a number of ways – firstly, as thosewho will be producing our food in the future and therefore securing our food supply.Equally important though, young farmers are the future custodians of our rural areasas engines of employment, productivity and rejuvenation who also have responsibilitiesin terms of environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation. Young farmersare ambitious, brave, determined entrepreneurs who take on a lifetime of difficult butimmensely rewarding work delivering public goods to the rest of society. They are theenergy for life in terms of food production as well as guardians of the world’s naturalresources which we will need to ensure the supply of safe, nutritious, high-quality foodto a growing world population.However, young farmers are not just the farmers of tomorrow. Those young people whoare already farmers are, on average, more productive, innovative, better-educated andcompetitive than their older counterparts 1 . They are also more in tune with environmentaland sustainability needs for the future and grasping new technologies and innovativefarming methods to ensure productivity goes hand in hand with sustainability. Asyoung farmers, this is in their interest, too, to ensure they can keep farming throughouttheir career before passing this on to the next young generation. It is for this reason thatyoung farmers need the policy tools and support mechanisms to successfully put theireducation, ambition and entrepreneurship to good use. Across the world today, it is simplytoo difficult to access the agricultural sector.There is little doubt that young farmers contribute significantly to energy for life – butthey have the potential to produce so much more of it, particularly with youth unemploymentat concerning levels especially in rural areas. It is essential that we make thetools available to young people to be able to access the land and credit they need to beable to establish themselves firmly in the sector and therefore contribute to global foodsecurity and sustainability. For this, we need to improve succession rates across the glo-be, encouraging older farmers to give wayto younger farmers earlier and reshapingthe regulatory framework to do so. Wemust also attract new young entrantsto the farming sector to inject new innovativeideas into farming for the future.All they need is the opportunity to provethemselves, and they will not let us down.CEJA is working on several related topicsat the moment in this context, includingSoils, Food Waste, Trade Partnerships anda Fair Food Supply Chain – not to mentionthe promotion of young farmers’ measures,in particular better access to creditin the first years of the business. It is crucialthat young farmers come together toexplain what is necessary to help youngpeople enter the sector and to make themost out of it – in terms of productivityand profitability, but also in terms of maximisingenvironmental protection, biodiversityconservation and climate changemitigation in order to ensure sustainabilityand continuity for the future, across theworld. It is for this reason that CEJA haspioneered the establishment of the WFOYouth Group, and implores farmers of allages to mobilise behind the cause of betteraccess to land and credit for young peoplein order to stem the tidal flow of urbanmigration and shift the demographicbalance to a more sustainable age range inthe sector – this should have the supportof all farmers’ organisations.If everyone on this planet is going to havethe energy for life that they need, we aregoing to have to ensure there is an increasein young farmers everywhere. In orderto do this, we must be vocal about our needsand gain support not just from withinthe young farming sector, not just withinthe farming sector, but from the rest ofsociety too. Young farmers could providepotential solutions to substantial challengesthat stand in the way of obtaining ourenergy for life; but only if we give them thehelping hand they need to overcome thehuge challenges that stand in their wayfirst. We hope this will be a main themerunning through the EXPO Milano 2015,because we simply cannot talk about ‘Feedingthe Planet, Energy for Life’ without acentral focus on young farmers.1 http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-area-economics/briefs/pdf/09_en.pdf22

WFO F@rmletterFARMATORYWWhen I introducedmyself on thefirst night of collegeand said I wasstudying agriculturaleconomicsI got the definitefeeling that I’d chosen a very ‘uncool’ degree.All the ‘cool’ kids were studying law,commerce or science with the intention ofdoing medicine. Eleven years later, havinggained a second degree, travelled the worldfor work and met some incredible peopleI’m very glad I was never tempted to switch.More than any other industry or careerpath, I’ve seen the world of agriculturenot only invites people from diverse backgroundswith diverse skills but encourages,almost insists, that young people take onfurther education, provides platforms tohave your say in policy development andprovides people with leadership and communicationskills. A career in agriculture isnot just a job, it’s a lifestyle.My own path into agriculture is not thatdifferent from many others, growing up asDad’s right hand girl, I always knew I wantedto do something with agriculture, I justwasn’t sure what. After a momentary flirtationwith the idea of an international business/lawdegree I came to my senses andended up in Natural Resource Economicsat the University of Queensland. For thefirst 2.5 years I enjoyed the lectures, arguedwith tutors and hung out with a dwindlinggroup of fellow students. In my third yearhowever I found myself at a young farmersdrinks event at the Royal Queensland Showwhere the guest speaker was a fairly seniorperson at the Department of PrimaryIndustries and Fisheries. With nothing tolose I introduced myself and said that I waslooking for work experience. She gave meher card so I emailed her.Eventually I ended up with a full-timepaying job over the holidays which continuedas 2 days per week in my final year.After that I was offered a full time graduatejob with the Department the same lady toldme that it was basically my persistence thathad got through. Something I have heardmore than once since. That and being ableto follow the persistence up with hard workand results.Being a female, graduate agricultural economistworking with older, very experiencedcattle producers to understand thedrivers of their business and convince themto make some significant changes, was notYOUNGFARMERSAS ENERGYFOR LIFEwithout its challenges. However I was fortunatethat I came in at a time when therewas a growing focus on the need to bemore businesslike in agriculture to improveproductivity and sustainability.Fortunately I rarely encountered any suggestionthat my gender was a limit to myability. In fact most of the young scientificand technical staff I worked with were female,a trend largely driven by the attractionof males to the mining industry but whichcontinues now. It was during this time thatI furthered my involvement in agriculturalindustry events outside work. In 2009 Ijoined the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association’s Future Directions Committee(or the FDC). This committee was responsible for organising social functions andeducational events for people under 35 at the Brisbane ‘Ekka’ and providing a young voicein wider strategic planning across the organisation. From that involvement and the networkswhich opened up as a result I’ve been involved in the Next Generation committee fortwo Beef Australia events, been invited to speak at other youth in agriculture events andattended three (!) overseas conferences to discuss production, social and policy challengesfacing global agriculture. Along the way I’ve cruised the Zambezi with a princess, dancedwith a lord and had dinner with the President of Mars 1 .More recently, I left a job I didn’t love to move nearly 4,000 kilometres to pursue a long-helddream of running my own business. Partly by accident, partly by design I’ve landed in northernAustralia at the very time that development of the north is firmly back on the agendaof politicians and business people both domestically and internationally.Since starting the business the variety and scope of projects I’ve been involved in has includedwriting a new university course, interviewing landholders for a weed managementproject and organising an exchange program for 20 Indonesian agricultural science students.I was also honoured and excited to not only be elected to the board of the Future FarmersNetwork of Australia but also elected vice-chair at only my second board meeting. FFNis kicking some major goals both within Australia and overseas and I’m very excited to bealong for the ride. Investors and analysts are starting to point to agriculture as ‘the next bigthing’ but for those of us who’ve been here all along the feeling is perhaps just that the worldis starting to wake up to the opportunities and exciting changes in the business of feedingand clothing the planet.Not forgetting the variety of not insignificant challenges facing this industry, when I see theabundance of hard-working, talented, innovative and optimistic young people working inthe field I have full confidence that these challenges are not insurmountable. Key I thinkto the energy and enthusiasm is the ability long seen in agriculture to integrate work andlifestyle such that the long hours and unglamorous wages are offset by an amazing officewindow, the chance to play with large machines, cool new technology and cute animals.1 The confectionary company, not the planet.Rebecca GowenVICE CHAIR FUTURE FARMERS NETWORK23

WFO F@rmletterFARMATORYMarina CherbonnierWEB AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER,YPARD: THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORAGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTYOUNGFARMERSAS ENERGYFOR LIFEAAgriculture is anageing sector – ithas been recurrentlystressed. Meanwhile,we have been nurturingthe (nonethelessaccurate) thought thatthe youth isn’t interested in agriculture.Another clear fact is that thereARE young professionals involved inagriculture – not only active ones butalso passionate young people aboutthe sector!They have been struggling, for many of them.But they have also found their way around, and they have now inspiring storiesto tell.We have been for too long delivering the wrong messages. It is high time toshow the field of opportunities that exists in agriculture, to highlight the positiveyouths’ perspectives about it and the support the youth can get to becomemore involved in the sector.Tshepiso is a beekeeper in Botswana. She was still student at the universitywhen she started this new business led mostly by old people. She made herown savings and personal investments to be able to build her start-up. Shenow sells her much diversified honey-based products to a variety of clients -from business to individual consumers - in her country.A strong training by the ministry of agriculture such as a thorough businessplan including evidences on how her business would generate revenue waskey to get the buying-into of landowners and banks. Her innovative mind andcreativity also helps her to continuously adapt to the challenges of a changingclimate. Her next perspectives are on agro-tourism!Pavlos went back to Greece at thetime when crisis hit the country themost. Initially an agricultural scientist,he decided to bet on farmingas a solution to the economic crisis.They re-shaped the four generationfamily farm with a more innovativeconcept where olives would get backtheir true value. They moved fromconventional farming to organicpractices and focused on serving aquality food market which also looksat conserving a healthy soil. Becausea transparent quality supply chainfrom the seeds to the taste buds ishis religion, Pavlos is also one of theco-founders of “We Deliver Taste”, aninitiative that offers multi-sensoryexperiences through true exchangesbetween producers and consumers.Young professionals in agricultureare vivid of innovative ideas thattackle both food and nutrition securityand global environmental challenges.They have solutions to makethe sector an interesting and viablecareer path for sustainable livelihoods.Some existing supports from governments,private sector and banks haveproved successful. Let’s celebratethese achievements, let’s share thesebest practices and ensure continuousand increasing support to theyouth.The best way to attract more youngpeople in the sector is by enablingthose young people who are alreadyinvolved in agriculture, and by breathinginto societies a true recognitionof agricultural professions.Madhan and a team of Nepalese students have been exploring the benefit ofmushroom cultivation in Nepal. They all belong to YPARD: a youth-led youngprofessionals’ network for agricultural development, which focuses on unleashingthe potential of young people in agriculture.Mushroom farming requires little initial investment, little time between cultivationand harvesting and thus rapid profit. Their reward is ultimate whenselling their own products at the local market on a daily basis. Not only didthey learn from this exercise but also, they taught these practices to theirpeers and farmers.24

WFO F@rmletterFARMATORYAA very special beginningWhen I was only 8 yearsold, I participated ingrowing corn and peanuts,as well as in harvestingcoffee, in a sort offamily farming. Furthermore, I did somemarket gardening and, more specifically,black nightshade growing with my parentsin an ocean bank of Mungo, in the coastof Cameroon. We used to sell our harvestproducts to passengers driving towardsthe Cameroonian city of Douala.When I turned 10, I managed to get a pieceof land in our large family field whereI produced maize and cocoyam. At home,I was simultaneously the goose bumpsraiser, following my mother’s example as“village chickens” raiser.Public Law studies coloured by my passionfor agriculture!Due to my mind confusion between justiceand law, I chose Law as my passionright after finishing high school. Soon myinterest in agriculture led me to familiarizemyself with the natives of the town ofDschang in western Cameroon where Ienrolled at the University of Dschang.This relationship allowed me to go withthem to the plantations where they cultivatedpotatoes, watermelons and tomatoesin a kind of subsistence agriculture.Practicing urban agricultureIt was in 2012, after two years of theorythat everything changed. I joinedan urban agriculture program calledPROTEGEQV in Yaoundé. This programincluded a “training” component and a“knowledge dissemination.” The goal was,according to ALTERNATIVE CANADAPROTEGEQV (NGO partner in this program)to train three young women whoin turn would frame an exclusively femaletarget practice of urban agriculture.In view of the many benefits of urbanagriculture in a context of food insecurityas defined in sub-regional common policiesto achieve MDG No. 1, my passionfor agriculture brought me to change mythesis and my professional guidance andinterested public policies for agriculturaldevelopment: The title of my new thesiswas:“The Comprehensive Programme for theDevelopment of African Agriculture (CA-ADP) and the formation of sub-regionalinternational company in Central Africa”.AGRICULTUREHAS MANAGEDTO CHANGEMY CAREERMy training in AgricultureDuring the training period, we learnedthe techniques of urban agriculture andits importance. We were formed in soiland its enrichment, as well as in hydroponics.Besides, we were led to share ourexperience with volunteers from Canadawhere such farming is mainly soilless cultivation.The double bottom container is the technologythat fascinated me the mostregarding agriculture without soil (likehydroponic agriculture), with its famousprinciple of capillary action. Green wallWouedjie Alice-NorraCAMEROON YOUTH INITIATIVE FOR RURALDEVELOPMENT CAMYIRDand the technique of vegetative multiplication of plant by fragmentation PIF (Plants issuefrom fragment), propagator, seed tray and nursery are tools and techniques whichwe got familiar with during the training.During the practical phase we supported and followed 150 women in this area. Wealso encouraged and participated in the development of nearly 150 gardens in the homesof women beneficiaries. Indeed, it was a program that targeted exclusively femalefarmers as they are the basis of production and food security. Likewise, we organizedseveral training seminars, for instance on corn, mushroom culture, vegetative propagationtechniques, etc.Over 30 women attended each session and about 300 women were trained directly byus in 9 months. The most overwhelming experience was training them in the cultivationof edible mushrooms. With over 50 women present that day, an average of 5 men insistedto be present, among which a Rwandan couple, a pastor and his wife who had beenpracticing urban agriculture in Cameroon for several years.Furthermore, the information tool installed Protects QV was another thing designedand implemented for agriculture awareness. Men and women came here every day toget information, solicit expertise or service in this or that specific area. Thus we createda number of schools and urban gardens, trained more than 500 people (students, housewivesand some men), collectively wrote a textbook on urban agriculture and I personallysupported the creation of several fields and agricultural production cooperatives.Women, the cornerstone for food securityCurrently I am pursuing my research and work in ICT Agriculture and Developmentprogram - Agrotic-dev - in a youth association called Cameroon youth Initiative for RuralDevelopment, CAMYIRD. I have created the blog named “Norra Urban Agriculture”as well as a Facebook page “Alice urban agriculture”.As we had to request every time the husband’s consent for his wife to attend the trainingsessions, or to exploit the area or wall the house for a green wall, the practice ofurban agriculture with women has proved to be difficult. Muslim women particularlywere always accompanied by their husbands, while they were simply not showing up.However, women are the cornerstone for productivity and food security and thus, theymust above all engage in the practice of agriculture.25

WFO F@rmletterNEWS & EVENTSBOOSTING FOOD SECURITY IN CITIES THROUGH BETTER MARKETS, REDUCED FOOD WASTERecognizing the growing challenge of feeding the world’s cities and the importance of efficient urban markets, FAO and theWorld Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) are partnering to promote sustainability and inclusiveness in the wholesalesector, including developing “best practices” for reducing food waste.“More efficient wholesale markets, and overall urban market outlets, can result in more affordable means to reach the citypoor with healthy food,” said Eugenia Serova, head of FAO’s Agro-Industry Division.http://bit.ly/1BvYDz1SUSTAINABLE FARMING WILL BE NEXT ‘REVOLUTION IN AGRICULTURE’Sustainable farming reduces costs and improves the environment, and according to Dr. John Kirkegaard, farming systemsagronomist, sustainable farming practices are the next “Revolution in Agriculture”.Dr. Kirkegaard said he had witnessed “incredible changes” in cropping and water use efficiency. He said sustainable agricultureand efficiency gains were driven by a number of different factors, but he said efficiency was underlined by simplemotivations. “[Growers] want to look after their farms - most farmers are keen to pass the farm on in a better state than theyfound it.”http://ab.co/1HZLGNhFOOD WASTE AN ENORMOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEM, SAY G20 MINISTERSAccording to the FAO, an estimated 1.3bn tonnes of food, or roughly 30 percent of global production, is lost or wasted annually.Agriculture ministers say countries should ensure excess food is given to the hungry instead of wasted. To fight theproblem, countries need better estimates of the amount of food they waste, as well as the economic impact of food loss.http://bit.ly/1KRt1E9AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY, VALUE CHAINS AND WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENTIn the framework of EXPO Milano 2015, Bioversity in cooperation with the three Rome-based UN Agencies and the ItalianDirectorate General for Development Cooperation, will held a special entitled ‘Agricultural Biodiversity, Value Chains andWomen’s Empowerment’ on the 17 September 2015 at Palazzo Castiglioni, Milan.The event aims at celebrating women’s role in feeding the world and protecting our precious agricultural biodiversity, as wellas highlighting the challenges they face in accessing value chains.http://bit.ly/1GBrUHwUNITED NATIONS SUMMIT TO ADOPT THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDAThe United Nations Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda will be held from 25 to 27 September2015, in New York and convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly.The Post-2015 Development Agenda is the results of the intergovernmental process launched in the framework of the UNConference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012.http://bit.ly/1Le1IGiINTERNATIONAL DAY OF COOPERATIVES 2015The Alliance and the United Nations through COPAC (Committee for the Promotion and Advancement of Cooperatives)jointly appointed equality as the theme for the 2015 International Day of Co-operatives.The day’s slogan is “Choose co-operative, choose equality”. Its purpose is to increase awareness on co-operatives and promotethe movement’s successes and ideals of international solidarity, economic efficiency, equality, and world peace. TheInternational Day also aims to strengthen and extend partnerships between the international co-operative movement andother actors, including governments, at local, national and international levels.http://bit.ly/1BJ9oZj26

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