Originally appeared on Devex, written by Karol Boudreaux.
Farming is an inherently risky business: bad weather, pests, credit constraints, and unexpected policy changes threaten farmers of all sizes.
Helping farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, find better ways to manage risk is an important part of what food security programming is all about. But what if a very basic risk is being overlooked? What would happen to farmers’ productivity and the food security of families and communities?
Providing better-quality seeds, extension services, irrigation and other infrastructure will undoubtedly help small-scale farmers meet the challenge of feeding the world’s growing population. However, in some countries, farmers face a very basic risk that threatens their ability to feed themselves and others: Their rights to the land and the other natural resources they depend on to farm, herd livestock or collect forest products are not secure. For women, especially, the problem of insecure land rights contributes to a striking agricultural gender gap.
Read the full post on Devex.