Lazy, non-committal and irrational is how a smallholder farmer is defined by many. They always languish and commit themselves into poverty. Anybody who grew up in the rural area this description is the most wild, obsolete and inaccurate accusation to a smallholder farmer.
Smallholder farmers are passionate, energetic and hardworking in their farming activities. They spend most of their time and energy to make rational decisions and steps for their sustainability. Governments and rural communities should do more to bring more rewarding opportunities like fertilizers, technology, extension education and market to the smallholder farmers closer to their settings.
To overcome the physical isolation of the rural farmers, their interests should be stimulated. This should be achieved by the relevant government bodies since this is the main focal step in the growth of the farmer. The most important problem of neglect in the rural economy needs to be addressed by the policy makers and researchers to awaken the farmer interest in agricultural productivity.
We can wholly address these issues if we begin with the actual smallholder farmers themselves rather than starting to think of who really the smallholder farmer is or should be. The already established communication technologies should be disseminated to the farmer. Failure of which may mean living in denial of the already established world orders in the advances of the already shaking technological inventions. Technology should be the one to guard the farmers and offer guidance towards achieving sustainability. Perpetuation of old standards with non-significant bearing on the smallholder farmer life is a way of cultivating poverty among them.
The best poverty fighter in developing countries is agricultural transformation in the rural economies comprising mostly of rural smallholder farmers. With over 70 percent dependency on agriculture in Sub Saharan African countries (World Bank report, 2013), the subject of smallholder farming must be addressed.
According to the Digital Thinking Initiative, (2015), economic development from global agricultural sector is twice as effective as those of the other economic sectors tasked with poverty alleviation. In particular, the development in sub Saharan countries is eleven times more efficient in driving out high poverty rates. Through agricultural development, economic growth is triggered resulting into poverty levels reduction.
According to the World Development report, (2008) the developing countries need to transform the agricultural sector before diversifying into the other economic sectors. It is through this that the world strongest economies like China and Brazil had their foundations.
Technology can lead to the disruption of a smallholder farmer’s life by offering unprecedented opportunities to the farmer. For example, the mobile phone has transformed the financial sector services, if used well it can help reduce the gap of a smallholder farmer between the formal systems of urban food market and the commercial agriculture, and the informal systems characteristic of a rural smallholder and the rural trade. Technology should be used as an agricultural tool to positively impact the lives of smallholder farmers.
In conclusion, largest segment of developing countries comprises of the smallholder farmers with a larger population depending on them for survival. Attention should be shifted to this segment as it is the next engine driver of the world economies. The segment is the best creator of jobs and can be able to spur entrepreneurial opportunities along its chain from the farm to the market. In return it can reduce the importation of goods and the extra income be channeled to improve other sectors like the healthcare systems.
This blog post is part of the GCARD3 Youth blogpost applications. The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.