Farming First: Enhancing Sustainable Development through Agriculture

Farming First calls on world leaders to apply its six principles in policy and practice:

Farmers celebrating

- Explore these principles by clicking the green arrow to the right (or download the action plan).
- Read our climate change action plan, browse the blog or our case studies, follow us on Twitter, or click the ‘Support us’ button above.

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1. Safeguard natural resources

Land management should be improved through the widespread adoption of sustainable land use practices.

Use conservation agriculture to prevent soil erosion and land degradation
Manage watersheds and water use more efficiently
Protect wildlife habitat and biodiversity through an integrated ecosystems approach
Provide incentives for improving ecosystem services
Promote sound management of chemical substances

For example: Skylark births increased by 49% when small plots were left in UK fields for nesting. Read more here.

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2. Share knowledge

Existing agricultural knowledge should be spread in order to reach those farmers that could benefit most.

Increase the level of education on crop and natural resource management
Promote village-based knowledge centres and access to information on weather, crop and market alerts
Establish open two-way exchanges that capture the ‘voice of the farmer’

For example: Uganda’s FICOM project helps farmers access crop growing tips and market prices through a network of local ‘village phone centres’. Read more here.

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3. Build local access and capacity

Making basic resources available to help farmers manage their production process more reliably and at less cost.

Secure access to land and water resources and microfinance services, especially for women farmers
Build and support infrastructure, such as roads and ports
Improve access to agricultural inputs and services and encourage local supply networks

For example: An Indian network of retail outlets for agricultural inputs and services is supported by agronomists and community organisers and run by local entrepreneurs. Read more here.

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4. Protect 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.

Build local storage facilities and transport links
Localise the application of agronomic knowledge
Educate on sustainable consumption and production
Help farmers manage weather and market risks

For example: A Malawi programme offers drought insurance contracts based on index-based weather patterns to protect groundnut farmers. Read more here.

5. Enable access to markets

Farmers need to be able to get their products to market and receive equitable price treatment when they do.

Provide remote access to up-to-date market prices
Develop transparent, fair markets with sound infrastructure and reduced speculation
Encourage co-operative marketing approaches and entrepreneurship training for smallholders
Reduce market distortions to improve global access

For example: The TradeNet programme helps small-scale farmers in Ghana sell their products more directly via the web and at full market prices. Read more here.

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6. Prioritise research imperatives

Research should prioritise locally relevant crops, stewardship techniques, and adaptation to climate change.

Conduct research on water, soil, post-harvest losses and climate change challenges and focus on crop varieties for the poorest and most vulnerable regions
Improve productivity through the responsible use of science and technology
Increase public-private collaboration and R&D investment

For example: Drought-resistant maize could produce crops with 25-30% more yield in moderate drought conditions. Read more here.

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Farming First calls on world leaders to apply its six principles in policy and practice:

1. Safeguard natural resources

2. Share knowledge

3. Build local access and capacity

4. Protect harvests

5. Enable access to markets

6. Prioritise research imperatives