By Robynne M. Anderson

“Agriculture is the only basis we have for feeding humanity. If agriculture is unsustainable, then we, as a species, are unsustainable. It is time we come together again and put Farming First!” says Ajay Vashee, President of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, and I couldn’t agree more.

A path of continuous improvement in ALL forms of agriculture is needed to make sustainable agriculture a reality. The International Seed Federation is one of several groups, including farmers and scientists, supporting a new call-to-action to promote sustainable agriculture. Farming First includes six principles to increase agricultural output in an environmentally-sustainable, economically-feasible, socially-responsible manner.

At the heart of the solution are farmers – they are the ones who grow our crops, manage the land and safeguard biodiversity. With an expected 1. 7 billion more mouths to feed by 2030, and risks from the effects of climate change, finite land supplies and water scarcity, farming is becoming even more important. To cope with this reality, the world’s farmers need to double or even triple food production by 2050. However, farming policies have neglected the critical role which farmers, especially smallholder farmers, must play in making sustainable development a reality.

Without change, the basic livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers in developing countries will be threatened.

Returning farmers to the center of policy decisions is fundamental to sustainable development. Governments, businesses, scientists and civil society groups must focus attention on the source of our food security. These groups must work together to enable the millions of farm families, especially smallholders, to grow more crops sustainably through effective markets, continued collaborative research and committed knowledge sharing. A broad-based, knowledge-centered approach to agricultural development is needed.

The approach starts by focusing on farmers and the tools and information they need to steward land, grow crops, harvest and get to market. While modern agricultural technologies and management approaches have doubled the production of world food calories over the past half-century, many smallholder farmers struggle to achieve even the most basic level of subsistence. New investments, incentives and innovations are needed to achieve greater sustainability, while delivering increased agricultural production.

Combined with better functioning markets, an enhanced farming system will contribute to improved economic development, providing food security, fair prices and improved land management. To succeed, any new approach must be based on a stable policy environment within which farmers can work and invest. There is a need for a radical shift in thinking that places the farmer at the center of sound and sustainable agricultural practices – literally to put farming first.

Farming First emphasizes
the need for knowledge-
based agriculture with six
interlinked imperatives:

Safeguarding natural resources– furthering widespread adoption of sustainable practices of water and land use, such as conservation technology.

Sharing knowledge – while much knowledge to improve global agriculture already exists, it often does not reach those farmers who could benefit most. programs like village-based knowledge centers help.

Building local access – fundamental resources should be available to farmers to help them manage their production process more reliably, including mechanical tools, seed, fertilizer and crop protection.

Protecting harvests – in many of the poorest countries, 20-40% of crop yields are lost because of inadequate pre- and post-harvest support. likewise, vast quantities of food are squandered during production and consumption phases of the food chain.

enable access to markets – farmers need to be able to get their products to market and receive equitable price treatment when they do by getting information like up-to-date market pricing even in remote areas.

Prioritize research imperatives – achieving sustainable agriculture requires intensified, continuous research, prioritizing locally relevant crops, stewardship techniques and adaptation to climate change.