Another View: The realities of smallholder farmers must take center stage at COP30 – Marin Independent Journal

The Critical Role of Smallholder Farmers in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Smallholder farmers, particularly women, are fundamental to global food systems and the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite producing a significant portion of the world’s food, they face severe climate change impacts and receive a disproportionately small share of climate finance. This report analyzes the challenges and opportunities associated with supporting smallholder farmers, emphasizing the need for targeted investment and policy changes to enhance climate resilience and advance global sustainability targets, with a focus on SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Contribution to Global Food Security and Economic Growth

The contribution of smallholder farmers to global stability is substantial, directly supporting key SDGs.

• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Smallholders produce one-third of the world’s food on just 12% of its farmland. In Africa, they are responsible for nearly 70% of the food supply, making them indispensable for global food security.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Providing smallholders with investment equivalent to their agricultural output could add an estimated $1 trillion to the global economy, fostering sustainable economic growth and creating resilient livelihoods.

Climate Vulnerability and Financial Disparity

A significant barrier to sustainability is the disparity between the climate vulnerability of smallholders and the financial support they receive.

Key Challenges

• Climate Impacts: Farmers are increasingly affected by climate-related disasters, including droughts, floods, new pests, and erratic growing seasons, which threaten agricultural productivity and food supplies, undermining progress on SDG 2.
• Financial Exclusion: Smallholders receive less than 1% of all climate finance. This lack of investment hinders their ability to adapt to climate change, directly impacting SDG 13 (Climate Action).
• Unmet Pledges: The failure of wealthy nations to deliver the pledged $100 billion in annual adaptation finance exacerbates this vulnerability and reflects a challenge for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Empowering Female Farmers: A Catalyst for Multiple SDGs

Investing in female smallholder farmers is a strategic approach that yields significant returns across several SDGs. They are not passive victims but active innovators whose expertise is crucial for developing climate-resilient solutions.

1. Case Study: Ethiopia – Advancing SDG 5 and SDG 1
   • Investment in southern Ethiopia has promoted gender-balanced leadership in water governance, advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
   • The implementation of climate-smart irrigation has increased growing seasons from one to three annually, improving crop diversity, nutrition, and household incomes, thereby contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
2. Case Study: India – Promoting SDG 8 and SDG 13
   • In Maharashtra, investment has enabled women to lead bamboo cultivation projects, creating climate-resilient, long-term livelihoods and contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
   • Bamboo cultivation benefits the environment by absorbing significantly more carbon dioxide than equivalent tree plantations, directly supporting SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Policy Recommendations for COP30 and Global Stakeholders

To leverage the potential of smallholder farmers in achieving the SDGs, global leaders must take decisive action.

1. Increase and Target Adaptation Finance: Fulfill and expand commitments to adaptation finance, ensuring that funds are accessible and directed to smallholder farmers who are at the forefront of climate adaptation. This is critical for SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2. Recognize Smallholders as Strategic Partners: Shift the paradigm from aid to investment. Acknowledge the expertise of smallholders, especially women, and support their innovations in sustainable agriculture to achieve SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
3. Integrate Smallholders into Climate Policy: Ensure that discussions on transforming food systems at COP30 are centered on the needs and contributions of smallholder farmers, fostering inclusive partnerships as outlined in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article focuses on smallholder farmers who “grow a third of the world’s food.” It discusses how climate change threatens their farms, which would “exacerbate hunger.” The text advocates for supporting these farmers with “climate-resilient seeds, sustainable farming practices, improved irrigation” to ensure global food security.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article explicitly highlights that many smallholder farmers are women and that they are often misrepresented. It provides examples from Ethiopia and India where investment in “female farmers” has led to “gender-balanced leadership,” economic empowerment, and community-wide benefits, arguing for their full participation and access to financial resources.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The central theme is the impact of climate change on smallholder farmers and the need for adaptation. The article mentions that farmers are “battered by droughts, floods,” and that “Adaptation remains neglected in the climate response.” It calls for increased and accessible “climate finance” and for leaders at COP30 to make “more ambitious commitments on adaptation.”

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article connects investment in smallholder farmers directly to poverty reduction. The examples show that access to finance and climate-smart techniques “boosts household incomes,” creates “long-term livelihoods,” and improves “long-term financial security,” thereby building the resilience of vulnerable populations against climate and economic shocks.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article argues that investing in smallholder farmers is a significant economic opportunity. It states that providing them with adequate investment “would add $1 trillion to the global economy.” The example from India shows how women became “entrepreneurs” in bamboo cultivation, creating a “new source of income” and joining a “global supply chain.”

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The article touches upon environmental benefits and land restoration. The bamboo cultivation project in India is described as creating livelihoods “out of unproductive land.” It also notes the environmental benefits, stating that bamboo “absorbs up to 45% more carbon dioxide than equivalent tree plantations,” contributing to climate mitigation and ecosystem health.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women. The article directly addresses this by advocating for investment in “female smallholder farmers” to increase productivity, which could lead to returns of “up to $1 trillion.”
   • Target 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. The text calls for providing farmers with “climate-resilient seeds, sustainable farming practices, improved irrigation and early warning systems” to adapt to climate change and ensure year-round production.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. The article highlights the success of “gender-balanced leadership in water governance” in Ethiopia and how investment in India “equipped women to become leaders in bamboo cultivation.”
   • Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to financial services. The core argument of the article is the need for “female smallholder farmers” to gain “fair and sustained access to finance” and investment, which they currently lack, receiving “less than 1% of all climate finance.”

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. The article is centered on building the resilience of smallholder farmers who are “facing the most severe impacts of climate change” through adaptation strategies and finance.
   • Target 13.a: Implement the commitment to mobilize $100 billion annually for climate action. The article explicitly criticizes the failure of this commitment, stating, “Wealthy nations have still not delivered the $100 billion annual adaptation pledge made in 2009.”
   • Target 13.b: Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management… including focusing on women. The article’s plea to channel climate finance directly to “female smallholder farmers” aligns with this target of empowering marginalized groups to drive climate solutions.

4. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events. The article argues that investing in smallholder farmers strengthens their “community resilience” and “long-term financial security” against climate shocks like droughts and floods.

5. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship. The example of women in India becoming “entrepreneurs” in bamboo cultivation, creating “climate-resilient, long-term livelihoods,” directly relates to this target.

6. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil. The project in Maharashtra, India, which creates “livelihoods out of unproductive land,” is a direct example of restoring degraded land and improving its productivity.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

   • Volume of production per labor unit/area: Implied by the goal to increase productivity. The Ethiopian example of increasing “growing seasons from one to three” is a direct measure of increased land productivity.
   • Income of small-scale food producers: The article explicitly mentions that investment “boosts household incomes” and that fair investment could add “$1 trillion to the global economy.”
   • Crop diversity: The text notes that in Ethiopia, there is now a “greater diversity of crops” being grown, which is a measure of resilience and nutritional security.

2. For SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

   • Proportion of women in managerial/leadership positions: The article mentions the creation of “gender-balanced leadership in water governance” as a measurable outcome of investment.
   • Access to financial services: The core issue is the lack of access to finance, with smallholders receiving “less than 1% of all climate finance.” An indicator would be the percentage of climate finance directed to female smallholder farmers.

3. For SDG 13 (Climate Action)

   • Amount of international financial flows (e.g., climate finance): The article directly references the unmet “$100 billion annual adaptation pledge” and the need for “predictable, accessible adaptation finance.” The flow of these funds is a key indicator.
   • Adoption of climate adaptation strategies: The implementation of “climate-smart irrigation techniques,” use of “climate-resilient seeds,” and “early warning systems” are all measurable indicators of adaptation.

4. For SDG 1 & 8 (No Poverty & Economic Growth)

   • Change in household income: Mentioned as a direct result of investment in Ethiopia and India.
   • Creation of new enterprises/livelihoods: The women in India becoming “entrepreneurs” and creating “long-term livelihoods” is a clear indicator of economic progress.

5. For SDG 15 (Life on Land)

   • Area of degraded land restored: The project turning “unproductive land” into productive bamboo cultivation is a measurable indicator of land restoration.
   • Carbon sequestration: The article provides a specific metric, stating that bamboo can absorb “up to 45% more carbon dioxide,” which can be measured to track progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: marinij.com