Empowering Smallholder Farmers

Personal Background

• Speaker grew up on a small farm in Uganda
• Parents were refugees from Rwanda
• Family farmed maize and potatoes
• Mother worked hard to support the family; father was a teacher

Importance of Empowering Farmers

• Empowering smallholder farmers can:
  • Change lives
  • Nourish people
  • Improve economies
  • Address climate change challenges

Key Experiences

• At 14, the speaker received improved seed variety from a friend.
  • Result: mother's yield increased from 3 to 10 bags
  • Mother's first financial independence through selling produce
• Motivated to empower more farmers and send girls to school after witnessing challenges faced by peers.

Role in Government

• Joined the Ministry of Agriculture as a minister
  • Faced challenges: small land holdings, mountainous terrain, post-genocide recovery
• Designed a consolidation program for land management
  • Ensured access to seeds and fertilizers
  • Established extension services for farmers

Agricultural Transformation

• Initial resistance to using seeds and fertilizers shifted to demand within three seasons
• Achievements:
  • Bumper harvests led to increased production
  • Collaboration with private sector for better market access and storage solutions
  • Significant poverty reduction attributed to agricultural advancements (World Bank: 65% reduction due to agriculture)

Climate Change Challenges

• By 2013, crop failures were evident due to irregular rainfall patterns
  • Farmers struggled with planting times and crop choices
  • Regional droughts affecting yields (e.g., Zimbabwe, Kenya)

Proposed Solutions

1. Address Climate Change:
   • Major countries need to reduce emissions and compensate affected farmers.
2. Improve Farmer Resources:
   • Access to improved seeds, fertilizers, extension services, and crop insurance.
3. Post-Harvest Loss Management:
   • Innovations (e.g., PX bags) to extend grain storage and minimize losses.
4. Market Access:
   • Enhance trade opportunities within Africa, especially for smallholder farmers.

A Call to Action

• Recognition of smallholder farmers as vital contributors to food security
  • 70% of food in Africa & parts of Asia comes from smallholder farmers.
• Need for consumers, businesses, and politicians to acknowledge and support farmers.
• Importance of sustainable farming practices for future generations.

Closing Thoughts

• Empowering smallholder farmers is crucial for global food security and environmental stewardship
• Passion for ensuring farmers can provide for their families and communities.