The book captures the societal impact of the Tropical Legumes project that successfully worked towards developing an efficient seed delivery system for grain legume crops in the semi-arid tropics of Africa and Asia. The stories in this edition focus on a couple of key areas and crops ­– groundnut and common beans in Tanzania and Uganda, groundnut and cowpea in Nigeria and groundnut in Ghana.

Experiences of stakeholders along the value chain make for an interesting read. “National agricultural research institutes, knowledge brokering organizations, NGOs, public seed companies, private seed companies, agro-dealers, individual seed entrepreneurs, farm implement makers, farmer cooperatives, farmer groups, individual farmers, women farmers, middlemen, processors, traders, and consumers were all involved  in this experience. This book provides learning opportunities for development workers, technical staff, and project managers. It will also inspire development workers and project managers to share their own experiences for others to learn from,” says the blurb.

Enjoy the straightforward narration, ignore the spellers and get straight to the heart of the stories. Read the excerpts to get a feel of the book.

Excerpts

Photo: Ndichu J, ICRISATtraders

Tanzanian doctor grows groundnut on his dispensary farm

“The nutritional benefit of groundnut in the baby’s body is the protein value. Groundnut in the porridge helps with the growth of the child. Also, pregnant women need protein to avoid giving birth to underweight children.

After giving them training, about fifteen mothers went ahead and planted the seeds at their home and they came to show us the results.”

Dr Steve Julius runs a dispensary at Ilindi, Bahi district, Tanzania

Photo: Ndichu J, ICRISAT

Growing groundnuts is part of the school curriculum

“We teach the children how to plant groundnut in school and the groundnut becomes food for them. When we sell groundnut as a school, we direct those funds to the ‘Elimu ya Kujitegemea’ (self-reliance) department.”

Mr Ajili Mkero, a teacher at Nanyumbu Primary School, Tanzania 

Ugandan women’s group journey from farm laborers to entrepreneurs

“We started out as farm laborers where we would get hired by community members during planting and weeding season. We also planted groundnut for grain but our earnings from the work were insufficient and we needed to look for diverse ways to sustain our needs.

When we started (seed production), we were a bit skeptical on who would buy our produce. Two years into the business, we have links with seed companies and organizations – We have also benefited from workshops and demonstrations organized by the TL projects and thus expanded our networks, the opportunities we have received surpassed our expectations.”

Purlonyo Women Group (Most of the members can now afford to keep their children in school with the profit made from the groundnut sales.)

Ms Apiyo Hellen, a groundnut trader, shows off her roasted groundnut at Arapai market in Soroti, Uganda. Photo: Manyasa E, ICRISAT

Growing businesses, growing people

“When we started, we had no office to call our own, today we have established a permanent office, a showroom, a shop, an agricultural laboratory, and a conference room.

Our biggest success with Tropical Legumes projects is the introduction of the company to scientists and to extension workers. They have exposed us to many other players with several best practices in the seed industry. The benefits are many and beyond mere finances. We have been enhanced as a company,”
Late Awalu Balarabe (left in the photo), Managing Director, Maina Seeds Company, Nigeria.

Photo: A Diama, ICRISAT

For more on the TL III project read: https://www.icrisat.org/12-years-of-research-on-tropical-legumes/

Legumes are one of the most popular sources of protein, but they are missing one essential amino acid – methionine. Millet, a nutrient – packed crop, however, has that missing amino acid. Combined, the two create a powerful nutri-basket. With high levels of complete protein, high protein digestibility, and high levels of micronutrients, small and large food companies alike may use this combination to develop products that can significantly reduce malnutrition, the study reports.

“No one food is going to satisfy all of our needs,” Executive Director of Smart Food Initiative at ICRISAT, Joanna Kane-Potaka, tells Food Tank. “We need to look deeper than just the amount of protein we are eating but [also at] the quality of the protein…very few consumers [will] know this and companies selling products rarely give this information.”

The study was conducted as part of the Smart Food initiative and led by Dr S Anitha, nutritionist ICRISAT. Researchers tested multiple combinations of different millet and legume varieties, finding maximum benefits at the three to one, millet to legume ratio. Development of plant-based protein is relevant worldwide: in India, home to a large number of vegetarians, in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries, where plant-based protein is often all that is affordable, and in the Global North, where plant-based protein is gaining popularity among vegetarians and vegans.

ICRISAT hopes this discovery will garner support across the value chain to make millet a staple.

Labeling millet as a staple will help increase its respect and recognized importance in the mainstream market, says Kane-Potaka. Currently, few consumers are aware about millets. Its flexibility and high nutritional value has caught the eye of some scientists and processors, who hail it as the next quinoa. But if qualified as a staple it has the potential to reach the masses, rather than exist in a niche high-end market like quinoa, Kane-Potaka tells Food Tank.

In addition to nutritional value, the crops provide other benefits to the land and the farmer. When used in alternative cropping, legumes can increase yields of other crops, enriching the soil by naturally adding nitrogen. Drought resistant and heat tolerant, millets are climate smart, making them reliable crops for farmers. “They really are a Smart Food – good for you, the planet, and the farmer,” says Kane-Potaka.

Originally published on Food Tank.

Following the success of the warrantage system approach a few years ago in the AGRA–funded microdosing project, the USAID-funded Africa RISING’s large-scale Diffusion of Technologies for Sorghum and Millet Systems (ARDT_SMS) project replicated it with great success. Out of the 34 Innovation Platforms that were initiated (29 in Sikasso and 5 in Mopti), three were introduced to the warrantage system by the project, benefiting hundreds of farmers like Timothée Goita and Seydou Dao.

Financial turnaround in a farmer’s life

Timothée, an active member of one of the innovation platforms in Sikasso, adopted a new high-yielding and drought-tolerant improved sorghum variety, Tiandougou coura, developed by Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER) in collaboration with ICRISAT. “During the drought years, I barely harvested 600 kg/ha of the local variety. The improved variety, which I got from the head of the agricultural sector of my region as part of the ARDT-SMS project, gave me a yield up to 1,500 kg/ha,” he says. After harvest, a microfinance arrangement through the warrantage system helped him to sell his produce at a good price and at a convenient time.

“The main advantage of the warrantage system is that it allows us to sell our harvest for better prices. Thanks to the initiative, I bought an ox to plow the field and also built a new house with a sheet metal roof in the town of Yorosso, a few kilometers away from my village. My children will soon be moving there to pursue their studies and they will not have to worry about finding accommodation,” explains Timothée, who lives in Kafona village, Sikasso region.

Recalling how it was earlier, before the project interventions, Timothée says, “I had to either work as a laborer in neighboring fields or migrate to the city. Even then, I was able to meet only half of my family’s annual food needs.”

“Now I produce enough food to feed my family for the whole year. I can afford more than three meals daily for my children. My family eats millet- and sorghum-based foods alternating with maize, cowpea and other products to bring in more diversity in our daily diet. I sell part of my surplus to buy different foods and I can pay for the school fees of my children on time,” says Timothée.

Reversing migration and investing in education

In Sikasso, Mali, the annual cost of primary education in a village public school is often the equivalent of the cost of 300 kg of cereals and FCFA 15,000 (US$ 25) for renting a house, prohibitively expensive for most farming households. Sometimes, a household can support a few of their children’s school fees while asking the others to quit.

Farmer Seydou Dao, who had to quit school, does not want his children to face a similar situation. “In 2019, I paid my children’s school fees (about FCFA 80,000 (US$ 133.3)) from the sale of Jakumbe (CSM63E) improved sorghum variety from IER-ICRISAT collaboration,” says Seydou. Many farmers in the community have similar success stories to share.

Seydou narrates how he bought his younger brother a new motorcycle for FCFA 600,000 (US$ 962) using part of the income he got from selling produce of hybrid sorghum, Sewa, (IER-ICRISAT) and grown on 2 hectares of his land. When his mother fell ill, the motorcycle helped them to get her quickly to the hospital. Seydou also bought a new bicycle for one of his children whose school is 4 km away.

Mr Seydou Dao from Kafona village in Sikasso region, bought a new motorcycle for his younger brother. Photo: S Toure, ICRISAT

He helps farmers create marketing plans

Innovation platform coordinator, Mr Seydou Traore, oversees about 11 warrantage stores. Farmers are trained to create their own marketing plan, including how to obtain a loan from a microfinance institution, using the stored produce to serve as a guarantee. Many farmers use the credit to take up income-generating activities and use part of it to meet their household daily needs during the off-season. They no longer sell their produce immediately after harvest; they can now wait for the opportune time to get the best price for it, especially when selling collectively.

In 2019, the members in Traore’s innovation platform were able to negotiate the price of sorghum for FCFA 120/kg (US$ 0.2/kg) and that of millet for FCFA 115 (US$ 0.2) against a previous price of FCFA 85/kg (US$ 0.14) and FCFA 75/kg (US$ 0.12) respectively. Cowpea sold for FCFA 275 (US$ 0.5) against FCFA 200 (US$ 0.33) previously.

Innovation Platforms in the region have played a significant role in bringing farmers together and teaching them to use their collective strength to increase their negotiating power in the market.

For more on our work in Mali click here http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Mali/346

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal.
     

How a market pull was created

Extensive farmer participatory varietal trials in Kenya and Tanzania and the involvement of private companies in testing the commercial viability of sorghum, pearl millet and finger millet cultivarscontributed to creating a sustainable market pull for the crops resulting in increased farmer incomes. Key outcomes from the trials included the release of a high-yielding, resilient, market-preferred finger millet variety in Tanzania and the entry of eight each of finger millet and sorghum into National Performance Trials in both the countries (see box).

Trainings on productivity enhancementincluded seed selection, land preparation, soil management, seed rate, spacing and intercropping, weed, pest and disease management, thinning and gapping, harvesting and post-harvest handling. About 68 field days were organized and conducted across the two countries attracting 4,269 beneficiaries who participated in the selection of preferred varieties and hybrids of the project crops.

Partnership with government (County) departments facilitated value addition trainings for creating micro-enterprises targeting youth and women for both nutrition and improved incomes. Close to 1,435 beneficiaries were trained in partnership with County departments of agribusiness and home economics.

*Impactof the project in three years

Increased sorghum and millet cultivation ­– Delayed and unreliable rain distribution resulted in total crop failure in Homa Bay and Busia counties in western Kenya and in drying up of the crops in about 30% of the sites in eastern Kenya during the short rains of 2018 (October-December 2018). This made most farmers to include sorghum and millets in their next cropping season during the long rains of 2019 (March-May) which resulted in bumper harvests of sorghum, finger millet and pearl millet.

• Business support services
  • ­373 farmers were linked to credit and finance services
  • ­94 farmers benefited from crop insurance services.

This was done in partnership with the ward agricultural extension officers.

• Micro-enterprises in partnership with the Counties

Avenues identified for farmers included diversifying sorghum grain for the production of poultry and fish feed and training youth to earn incomes by operating threshers that cut down on farm drudgery. Women groups were trained to prepare different sorghum and millet foods to help boost household consumption and sell their products to rural outlets like schools, hospitals and during local market days. A local bakery that utilized the sorghum and millet produce partnered in the value-addition training programs.

Commercializing sorghum feed

The market for high quality, alternative poultry feeds is high in Kenya with 24 of the 47 counties prioritizing poultry value chains in their County Integrated Development Plans. A farmer group from Ogando village in Homa Bay County, involved in the project’s sorghum production, is working with the project team to develop and commercialize feed production using sorghum and other locally available raw materials. The project team is working on an agreement to assist the group commence the production and expand their products to include poultry and fish feed. Poultry feed formulations developed during IFAD funded grant initiatives in Makueni County between 2010 and 2016 will be used to support commercialization in Homa Bay. Testing and certification services will be done in tandem with the commercialization efforts.

County Home Economics and Agribusiness officers attend the training on hygiene, product formulation, nutrition and enterprise development in Kiboko, Kenya.

Training youth to earn incomes by operating threshers Eleven portable threshers were purchased and 48 youths were trained on operation, repair and maintenance of these threshers to offer threshing services to beneficiaries at a fee. Demonstrations were held for 618 beneficiaries during harvest and post-harvest handling training. The mechanization component and the quick income attracted youths in sorghum and millet farming while farmers engaged their services to reduce drudgery, save on time and cut their threshing cost by almost half. Manual threshing costs KES 8,889 (US$ 89) while machine threshing costs KES 4,444 (US$ 44).

Women’s groups trained on production of sorghum and millet foods

Trainings targeting 11 county officers in the home economics and agribusiness departments addressed issues of hygiene, packaging, product formulation, enterprise development and nutrition. The training was conducted in partnership with Amari Bakery Ltd, which uses sorghum and millets in its products and offer related training services. Follow-up trainings were conducted at the group level during the reporting period. The project plans to hold refresher trainings on hygiene, certification and nutrition issues in the coming months.

The way forward

The project is in its final year of implementation and the future emphasis is on the development of sustainable seed systems to enhance access to the improved technologies developed and tested through the project and to adopt the aggregator model in Kibaigwa area of Dodoma, Tanzania to facilitate linkage between end-users and producers as well as input suppliers.

The above achievements and plans were discussed at a review and planning meeting held at the commencement of the fourth and final year of the project activities.

*Figures taken from a survey conducted by the project

For more on our work in Kenya and Tanzania visit

http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Kenya/793

http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Tanzania/799

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal.
      

The production of cereals is critical for food security in Mali. Cereals account for around 80% of the cultivated area according to a recent study. Among legumes, groundnut and cowpea are important crops grown for home consumption and markets. Availability of quality seed of improved varieties had been a major constraint in the region. To overcome the problem, farmer organizations in Mali are investing in seed production of crops like sorghum, millet, groundnut and cowpea and equipping their members to become certified seed producers. Initiatives like these that started during the HOPE II¹ project are continuing through AVISA².  Continued project interventions and training programs for a substantial period has resulted in significant gains for farmers.

Seed production enterprise leads to food sufficiency, curbs migration

Ms Massaran Camara in her seed multiplication plot at Siby. Photo: Magassa M, ICRISAT

Farmer Daba Kane from Falakan village, Kayes region, is a role model for seed producers in the region, especially for those growing improved varieties of groundnut. He is a member of the Sabunyuma cooperative, a partner of the national groundnut program of Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Mali’s agricultural research institute, and has an impressive story to tell.

“I have been through times when the harvest from local varieties was so low that I could no longer feed my family. During the off-season, children in our communities would migrate to towns like Bamako, Segou and Sikasso to look for other source of revenues. Thanks to technical support and the trainings to our cooperative members, I was able to become a seed grower, earning more income and growing more food for my own consumption,” says Mr Kane.

Since 2016, Mr Kane has embarked on the production of seed of improved varieties. In 2018, he produced and sold 500 kg of seed of the variety Fleur 11. He earned CFA500,000 (~US$ 900), making a profit of CFA 30,000 (~US$ 54). Mr Kane is one of the few people in his village to build a concrete house and own a motorcycle.

Sowing seeds of prosperity through demos and mini-packs of improved seed

In Segou region, a farmer organization – Union Nieta de Bla, stands out in the production of seed, especially of improved varieties of sorghum and millet. The union comprises of 137 cooperatives and has around 30 seed producers.

As part of the AVISA project, the Union focused on selling mini-packs of improved seeds and conducting demonstrationson plots, “For the 2019 crop season, 1,600 farmers benefited from mini-packs of improved seed and 23 demonstration plots (14-sorghum and 9-millet),”says Mr Gaoussou Coulibaly, president of the Union. Seed production was on an average 21 tons for sorghum hybrid and 2.5 tons for OPV varieties per year.

Through project efforts, more than 2,500 producers were trained on good agricultural practices from 2003 to 2018. In the area, 1 kg of sorghum hybrid seed is sold between 750 – 1,000 CFA (US$ 1.4 – 1.8) compared to 350 CFA (US$0.6) for Open Pollinated Variety seed.

“Farmers in Bla accept the price difference because the hybrids are more productive. This is why we are training new members to become seed producers especially for hybrids. That way they can produce enough for their own consumption and sell the seed to meet other expenses,” says Mr Coulibaly.

A technician quits his job to grow sorghum and cowpea seed 

In the rural commune of Cinzana, Mr Djamory Koné, a member of the Minankofa Seed Group (GSM) which has 55 members, is another successful seed producer. A former technician at IER, he left his job in 1993 to take up sorghum and cowpea seed production. His preferred varieties are Acar 1 for cowpea and CSM 63 for sorghum.­­­­­­

“When I started, not many farmers were seed producers. Today we find them in all villages of the Cinzana commune. Seed production is the future, and it has changed my life,” says Mr Koné. The cowpea seed fetches a good price in Cinzana. “In 2018, I harvested 1.8 tons of seed for Acar 1 on 2ha and I sold 1kg at 650 CFA (US$1.2). For sorghum, I harvested 3.5 tons seed from 3ha and sold it at CFA 300 (US$ 0.5) per kg,” says Mr Koné.

Mr Marcel Dao, President of GSM, explains that prices vary throughout the year, “Cowpea is between CFA 650 -1,000 (US$1.2 – 1.8) and sorghum between CFA 300-500 (US$ 0.5-0.9),” he says. The group has an annual production capacity of 25 tons for cowpea and 12 tons for sorghum.

Women take up seed production

At Siby village, 50 km from Bamako, the farmers’ organization Cooperative des Producteurs de Semences Maraicheres du Mali (COPROSEM) has 87 seed producers, 20 of them are women. For the 2018-2019 crop season, 25 producers, including 7 women, produced groundnut, sorghum, millet and cowpea seed, explains Mr Coulibaly, President of COPROSEM. Among the women producers Ms Massaran Camara, started producing groundnut seed (Fleur 11) on 0.25 ha in 2019. She sold the harvested 200 kg of seed and for the first time contributed to household expenses. “I bought clothes for my child and gave my husband some money,” says the young seed producer.

Across Mali, farmers’ cooperatives are investing more in seed production and there is a rise in the availability of certified seed. Vast quantities of seed can be made available in neighboring and faraway farmers, however shortage of storage facilities are a challenge.

With increased seed production, enhancing storage facilities is a priority. “In the community where COPROSEM works, the numbers of registered seeds producers is increasing. We have difficulties in storing our annual production of around 40 tons for all crops. The available storage house has a maximum capacity of only 10 tons,”says Mr Coulibaly. A clear sign that the seed production has exceeded the expectations of the community members.

For more on our work in Mali see:

https://www.icrisat.org/tag/mali/

http://exploreit.icrisat.org/profile/Mali/346

This work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal.
     

“The yield has been much better with the GJG 32 variety as it is resistant to leaf spot disease. Crop stayed green till harvest and could be used as fodder to fetch additional income,” said Chandrashekar Reddy, a farmer from Nagarkurnool in Telangana state, who was a part of the rainy season (kharif) cohort last year.

Mr Reddy’s farm has been inspiring his neighbors who have lost harvests to leaf spot and collar rot. The 4,250 kg per hectare yield that GJG 32 can provide is nearly twice what farmers were getting from the older varieties commonly used in the area.

The Seed Business Venture (SBV) initiative, under an OPEC Fund for International Development supported project, is aimed at addressing the gaps in demand and supply of quality seed by strengthening the groundnut seed system through rural seed business entrepreneurs.

High seed rates, low seed multiplication ratio and quick loss of seed viability are some of the major challenges to the groundnut seed systems affecting the adoption of newer varieties. Given these challenges, formal seed systems alone may not cater to the needs of farmers for groundnut seeds. One of the approaches to overcome these constraints is to develop and promote decentralized seed models managed by farmer-entrepreneurs in the rural community.

In collaboration with Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) and Groundnut breeding team of ICRISAT’s Asia Research Program, ICRISAT’s Agribusiness and Innovation Platform (AIP) started SBV’s pilot initiative in kharif 2019 with 10 farmers of Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal in Telangana and promoted them as seed entrepreneurs through training.

The SBV training covers best crop production practices, provides nucleus seed of groundnut variety GJG 32 (ICGV 03043), a high-oil, high yielding and farmer preferred variety,  on-field assistance at critical stages of crop growth, harvesting assistance, procurement and buying back the produce by paying more than market price (` 50 per kg vs. ` 45 per kg for last kharif crop), facilitating seed processing and selling the processed high quality seed at reasonable cost to farmers.

“I am happy that we are trained in best practices of crop production and will be guided on the field throughout the crop cycle,” said farmer Ms Prameela.

About eight tons of seed from the kharif harvest has been used for cultivation of 40 hectares during post-rainy season (rabi) crop, which is set to be harvested soon. SBV’s post-rainy season workshop and training was held at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, Telangana, in November. Several farmers participated in the workshop of which 10 were selected in the second cohort.

The haveli utilized 8 ha under submergence out of 400 ha (i.e. 2%) over which the village is spread. Thousands of such havelis are lying defunct in the region and their renovation can lead to better water conservation and improved crop productivity in a cost-effective way.

How it works: The havelis built centuries ago were designed in topographical sequence such that the runoff generated is harvested in a cascading manner from upstream to downstream (Prakash et al., 1998; Shah et al., 2003). The haveli acted as a reservoir during monsoon and as cultivable land post-monsoon. Provision was made to drain out impounded water during September /October to help farmers start preparing their land for rabi cultivation.

Productivity of the haveli fields is relatively higher as it holds more residual moisture, humus and nutrients as it also harvests silt and organic matter from the upstream fields. It also acts as a carbon sink (Sahu et al., 2015).

Cost benefits: The unit cost of rainwater harvesting through the haveli system is much cheaper than other measures such as check dams or farm ponds. The cost of haveli renovation in Parasai village was INR 800,000 (~US$ 13,000) with a storage capacity of 73,000 m³. Whereas average investment made for a check dam was INR 350,000 (~US$ 5,800) for a storage capacity of 3000 m³. The unit cost of creating storage capacity by renovating haveli and check dam is INR 11 /m³ and INR 117 /m³, respectively.

Creating awareness: It is important to note that check dams are built across village streams belonging to public/government land. Since havelis are generally located on land owned by farmers/community, their rejuvenation/repair will need community agreement. The community is aware about defunct havelis, their history and potential benefits. Incentivizing the communities to arrive at a consensus, sensitizing policy makers, identifying suitable technical expertise and capacity building are necessary to scale up haveli renovation/repair on a large scale.

The zone of influence of havelis from groundwater recharge can be much larger compared to check dams making them a preferred option of rainwater harvesting. There is a strong need to articulate the cost and benefit aspects of haveli structures in a simple and effective way in order to help policy makers make a right choice when it comes to large-scale investments in drought-proofing measures.

Late nights on the family farm are engraved in Anthony Whitbread’s memory.

“I grew up near my grandparent’s farm in a low-rainfall region of Southern Australia. I remember going to their house in the evenings, and having to be very quiet, because they were listening to weather information on the radio,” said Whitbread.

Turning a profit through farming in such conditions is no small feat. Information about what the weather might do is absolutely critical to make the right decisions.

Today, as research director at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Crops (ICRISAT) in India, Whitbread and his team are on a mission to extend that kind of information to millions of smallholder farmers.

“My uncle in particular would get quite irate when the rains would come during harvest,” he said. “To yield any kind of profit farming, getting the right climate information at the right time to make lower risk and profitable decisions is really key.

“The farmers we’re working with have advisories from extension agencies but they are not always connected with weather and climate information. We’re trying to change that,” he added.

What to grow and when, through digital extension

The research team started work in the semi-arid farm lands of Andhra Pradesh, where groundnut is the biggest crop, and agriculture relies on rain. Farmers in this state near Ananthapur, lose their harvest, on average, a third of the time.

No surprise, then, that 80 percent of farmers ranked climate variability as their number one constraint to making a profit. The risks of farming look set to become worse, with climate projections for the region indicating higher average temperatures and more frequent extreme events.

“There are a lot of ICT solutions sending agricultural information,” explained Whitbread. “But most often, that information is still very broad, and does not reflect specific farm conditions.

“The best way to help farmers deal with unpredictable weather is to give them the highest resolution information possible in close to real time, so they can make decisions relevant in their own farm context.”

That information comes in the form of the Intelligent Agricultural Systems Advisory Tool, or ISAT. Through a deep understanding of management decisions available to farmers at particular times of the season, and state-of-the-art climate forecasts, the tool presents options for farmers.

Complex weather information is distilled into climate-informed advisories, and presented in the form of decision trees, derived from the analysis of decades of weather science.

Getting science to farmers

“For the first time in India, we’re bringing together weather providers and scientists, to get relevant information to farmers at specific times of year. That means asking meteorologists the kinds of questions farmers would like to have answered, and then relaying that information back to the farm.”

Working with the Indian Meteorological Department, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University and Microsoft India, the iSAT tool delivers real-time data, crunched and analysed by researchers, guiding farmers from pre-season planning to in-season management.

During the 2017 monsoon, ISAT was piloted with 417 farmers across four different locations. Mid and end season surveys revealed that more than 80 percent of farmers were satisfied with the frequency, relevance, and understandability of the messages delivered.

More than half rated the messages reliable and correct most of the time, helping them manage risk on their farm. The app also gives information for other important crops too, like sorghum, maize, cotton, and pigeonpea.

“There is sound science incorporated into the decision tree,” said Whitbread. And, thanks to a network of weather stations and rain gauge readings by farmers in pilot villages, rainfall predictions are updated every seven days.  Private companies have also provided data.

“But collecting data remains a challenge,” he noted. “What we’re trying to figure out now, is what the lowest resolution of information needed is, to still help farmers make key decisions, but at scale.”

Already, 5,000 farmers in 10 districts of India have been receiving messages directly since 2016. Indirectly, the information reaches another 40,000 farmers, resulting in an estimated 20 percent increase in groundnut and chickpea yield, contributing US$225 a hectare to incomes.

Investment outlook

In the future, the plan is also to get direct feedback from farmers. At the moment, message delivery via SMS is the most realistic option. But two-way communication in the future is critical, to increase message relevance.

At the moment, ICRISAT and partners are keeping the app free for farmers.

“The strength of the CGIAR and scientific community here has been to bring together the agri-tech sector, farmers and the researchers using ICRISAT’s digital agriculture innovation platform, the ihub.”

A pilot is being tested in two districts in Eastern Kenya and will be developed for Senegal during the next wet season. The aim is eventually to drive the scaling out and further innovate through the private sector.

“The private sector have not been very excited by the knowledge intensive requirements of tailoring climate informed advisories,” said Whitbread. But with the success of ISAT, and the enthusiasm of farmers to receive these advisories, we hope to change that in future.

Originally published as a CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture blog

The need for revising or renewing advisory systems is ever persistent given the multitude of changes that affect agriculture. In response to this demand for constant improvement, India’s agromet advisory system, operational since 1976 and considered one of the longest running in the world, has undergone many changes to be what it is today. What should tomorrow’s agromet advisory system (AAS) look like?

To answer this question, climate scientists, agricultural researchers, farmer-participatory experts and other specialists  from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), India Meteorological Department (IMD); CGIAR institutions – ICRISAT, CIMMYT and World Fish; University of Reading, Watershed Organization Trust, GEAG and Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) gathered in February at a special session on the sidelines of the International Conference on Climate Services in Pune, India, to assess the existing system and ponder a likely ‘Nextgen’ AAS.

Ensuing discussions were three-pronged – data acquisition from multiple platforms, generating content for dissemination and its delivery with feedback.

Data acquisition

The group felt that there is a data cache, including observational network data and forecasts, not easily accessible and readily interpretable. In addition to suggesting making the data available to stakeholders in user-accessible and usable digital formats, the group argued the need for regular capacity building to enhance the use of such data. About forecasts, the discussion group agreed that forecasts have to be provided with different lead times—now casting, short range, medium range, extended and seasonal. Scaling-out of the Indo-Gangetic Plain fog forecast work to rest of India was also suggested. The availability of remote-sensing data and its use was emphasized.

Generating content

Besides regular in-season advisories, the group suggested that a Nextgen AAS accommodate pre-season advisories based on long-range seasonal and four-week forecasts for two groups-farmers, and state and input suppliers. The advisory for state and input suppliers can deal with crops and varietal choices depending on season forecasts and area likely to be covered at district level to determine seed, fertilizer and other input requirements.

For farmers, pre-season advisories with a lead time of at least 15 days can help understand the seasonal conditions forecast, crop options with associated risk, and land allocation suggestions for different crops considering the risk and profit potential. These could be accompanied by agronomic management tips, as well as input and investment guidelines.

The in-season advisories have to be highly location specific (block level) if they are to support decision-making for field operations. Considering the crucial role planting related decisions make to yield outcomes, the group stressed the need for best support for planting decision-making. Timing of intercultural operations to conserve soil moisture and economic use of fertilizers are two other areas that require attention, the group felt. Information on pest and diseases in existing systems can be improved with advances in real time monitoring technology, like remote sensing and IoTs which enable hyperlocal weather measurements and crop surveillance. Mobile based crop health diagnostic applications (like plantix) can help crowdsource critical data on the spread of pests and diseases. Post-harvest advisories are also essential as farmers lack storage facilities and require guidance.

Inter-seasonal dry spells, extreme weather events and other uncertainties need to be factored in the advisories. Alerts for such events and mitigation strategies should be presented.

Information delivery and feedback

In recent years, the development of digital platforms have shown ways of effective information delivery. The work done on Meghdoot and Mausam, developed by IITM, IMD and ICRISAT can be built upon. Clearly, the group favored moving away from the traditional delivery systems to smartphone apps and social media, given the spread of internet and the capabilities of these media to accommodate data, M&E and feedback. That apart, when delivered at community level through these media, farmer discussions and information sharing can follow.

The group also suggested gamified advisories for auto-generation of messages; it was felt that human intervention should be restricted to verification and validating content. For end-users who desire more information, longer versions of the advisories can be made available digitally.

More importantly, the members of the group echoed that timing of in-season advisories is crucial, taking into account the lifecycle of a crop or enterprise. Advisories should help narrow decision choices and have market implications, leading to high impact in terms costs or benefits.

To trial a Nextgen system, the group has suggested selecting five Agromet Field Units (AMFU) where the framework and the software can be piloted.

About the authors:

Dr Karuturi Rao,
Honorary Fellow at ICRISAT

Dr Anthony Whitbread,
Research Program Director – Innovation Systems for the Drylands (ISD) and Country Representative – Tanzania, ICRISAT

Dr Ramaraj Palanisamy,
Associate Scientist, ISD, ICRISAT

Amidst the world’s largest lockdown to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, India today announced easing restrictions for the agriculture sector from 20 April 2020. The lockdown exit would allow farmers to harvest standing crops that may feed a population of over 1.3 billion and support traditional exports.

Among the world’s largest producers of rice, wheat, sugarcane, cotton, vegetables and milk, India was faced with a tough agrarian challenge as farming activity halted following the lockdown on 25 March 2020, just ahead of the harvest and sowing seasons.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a package for the economically backward sections promising to provide free foodgrains to 800 million beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Along with  their existing monthly entitlements of 5 kg of subsidised food grains, these beneficiaries will be given an additional 5 kg food grain free for three months (April to June 2020).

The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has swung into action to transport at least 10 MT of food grains every month from India’s grain surplus states such as Punjab, Haryana, Madhaya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to grain deficit states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Karnataka. Under the world’s biggest food security programme, FCI procures and supplies around 60 million tonnes (MT) of rice and wheat grains annually.

A nutritious basket

Agricultural scientists say though India has enough stocks of food grains to meet any eventuality triggered by the pandemic, it is time to enlarge the food basket to crops such as sorghum and millets to not just ensure future security but also immunity-providing nutrition.

“We should also enlarge the purchase and Public Distribution System (PDS) so that whatever we purchase from the farmers can be distributed,” says Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, father of India’s ‘Green Revolution’ responsible for exponentially increasing the wheat and rice production of the country in the early 1970s.

Swaminathan says merely providing food security will not be enough. The country needs to move swiftly to provide ‘nutritional security’ to a large mass of people. While around 800 million people are provided with ‘calories’ through NFSA, the focus should now shift to production and consumption of pulses, oil seeds, vegetables and other commodities such as fish and eggs, he told Nature India.

India should now grow more coarse and nutritious grains, like pearl millets, experts say. Photo: ICRISAT

India is also among the global leaders in the production of pulses, legumes and millets, which are rich sources of nutrition. The COVID-19 pandemic now necessitates nutritious food for the masses more than ever, according to Rajeev Varshney, Research programme Director for Genetic Gains at Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). “It’s high time to include other coarse cereals as they are highly nutritious. We need to keep our people healthy and with stronger immune systems,” Varshney told Nature India.

Securing food for a mammoth population would require solving the problems of 140 million farm families, mostly small and marginal. “Give small farmers enough incentive to continue in agriculture. This is particularly important for young farmers — they should feel that agriculture is technologically interesting and also economically rewarding,” Swaminathan, who chaired the National Commission on Farmers set up in 2004 to assess the extent of India’s agrarian crisis, said.

India’s rich genetic resources, distinct agro-climatic zones and rainfall variations provide a unique landscape to optimise the use of available land. The coronavirus pandemic provides a fresh perspective and many lessons for agriculture, Varshney says.“With shrinking natural resources such as arable land and increasing vagaries of climate change, we must accelerate the development and adoption of varieties that promise higher gains in farmers’ field,” Varshney says.

Calamity-proofing agriculture

Swaminathan says India must now have an early warning system network to understand early on any likely damage to crops, either because of the weather, climate, drought, floods or pests or pandemics such as COVID-19.

The lockdown in India saw thousands of migrant laboureres engaged in agriculture, go back to their villages. “The labourers have gone home and this poses a challenges to the farmers, the procurement, storage and marketing,” Swaminathan says. He suggests that such an eventuality could be avoided by adopting some of the policies pioneered by Varsghese Kurien, responsible for India’s ‘White Revolution’ steeped in the concept of cooperatives in milk procurement. “Community harvesting, community storage, community marketing and the government ensuring that fair price is given. We should do the same thing in agriculture,” he suggests.

Many migrant farm labourers were forced to leave for their villages during the lockdown. Photo: FCI

In order to tide through any COVID-19 related insecurities, India must ensure an operational food supply chain, pay smallholding farmers in advance for uninterrupted farming operations and avoid any price inflation of farm products, Varshney says.

India’s vulnerable populations should come out of the pandemic without facing an unmanageable nutritional challenge, Varshney says. “This is a good time to strengthen the country’s national nutrition programmes and ramp up support from local level NGOs and workers,” he adds.

Varshney emphasises that it is also a good time to revisit India’s agricultural research policies. “We can develop new and better varieties through genomics-assisted breeding. But there should be supportive policies to accelerate the release of new crop varieties in the national system.”

This article was originally published at https://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2020.66

About the author:

Sandip Das

That the present crisis will have a profound impact on the economy and food security is a foregone conclusion. Welfare governments, both central and states/UTs have done well to declare agriculture as an essential service, and come out with financial packages and social security measures.

As the corona crisis coincides with the rabi harvest/preparation for kharif sowing season, its impacts on food production and movement through the value chain loom large. During the lockdown, constrained labour movement has already adversely affected farm operations in parts of north-west India. States, civil society and businesses are now gearing up to minimise impact, and hope to sail through on good seasonal bounty.

Small and marginal farmers remain the dominant food producer and major workforce in India, and the country would rely on them to contribute to the post-pandemic revival. However, so far, they remain invisible in the current discourse, due to their informality, as well as political and digital inability.

Small and marginal farmers constitute more than 85% of farm household,cultivate about half of all farmlands as per Agriculture Census, 2015-16, and produce about 60% of farm goods, critical to India’s food security. They also constitute the biggest group of India’s poor and most food insecure. But, small farming remains adaptive, making this group the most important constituent of farm debate in the Covid-19 context.

A key trigger of growth of informal workforce is rural land tenure informalities embedded in rural landlessness, and all-pervasive agricultural tenancy and sharecropping. Agriculture workers represent half of the informal workforce. It is now being discussed that a number of migrant workers who fled the big cities may never return, preferring to find work on their marginal farms or in nearby towns.

Rural India, especially the farm sector, therefore, must prepare to productively absorb these additional labour. India’s small farms may be able to productively engage them, as they are extended enhanced tenure security, which can trigger farm investments, ‘sustainable’ intensification and diversification.

Tenancy has risen over the last few decades despite post-independence land reforms banning this. Nearly 2.1 crore households in the country cultivate 1-1.1 crore hectares of land on informal lease basis as per 70th round of NSSO. Tenants remain more vulnerable to and impacted by disasters and crop loss, both under fixed term tenancy and sharecropping.

NITI Aayog came up with the model Land Leasing Act in 2016, which encourages states to legalise land tenancy, benefitting both tenants and landlords. Post-pandemic, states must consider accommodating returnee migrants in small-farming by legalising and implementing leasing reforms. In the absence of tenancy documents, benefits of schemes under the Centre’s Rs 1,70,000 crore relief package may not reach many among the needy. Land-leasing reforms and documentation can aid more inclusive delivery of public service entitlements to these vulnerable tenants, critical to trigger rural revival.

Along with flattening the corona-curve, states must also prepare to downsize the post-pandemic impact, and begin working on revival strategies—ironically, India’s informal labour, apart from being most vulnerable, holds the key to this. Informality of labour is linked to informality around land relations; post-pandemic farm growth hinges on strategic action on land leasing reforms. With options and experiences around leasing reform already available, the political will and bureaucratic expediency will demonstrate how much India cares about its small farmers, when planning food security.

About the authors

Pranab R Choudhury, Vice-President, NRMC

Arabinda K Padhee, Director, Country Relations and Business Affairs – New Delhi, ICRISAT

The government has promised an additional 15 kg food grains per person for 800 million people, thanks to about 60 million tonnes of grain buffer stock in the country. The government has also exempted the movement of agriculture commodities; farm labourers and harvesting and other machinery from the shutdown restrictions. With state governments also pitching in, the first step to averting a major hunger crisis has been taken.

While these measures will begin to help, the impact witnessed by farm sector and other vulnerable groups require more intervention. Halting of farm operations like harvesting, owing to homeward exodus of the workforce and scarce availability of transportation for ferrying the produce, besides restricted market access and the need for social distancing, have contributed to the distress. In this scenario, harvesting of rabi crops, especially in northwest India and regular harvesting of smallholders’ produce of fruit and vegetables across all states has become a big challenge.

The crisis has had contrasting impacts on producers and consumers. While vegetable and fruit producers are in a stress-selling mode, staring at downward price trends, consumers in urban areas are having to pay increased prices due to limited availability. Smallholders are also holding on to their produce as most agriculture markets or mandis are closed. There is a risk of a glut and crashing of market prices after the lockdown that can dangerously drive the farmers into more losses. The states have already been advised for decentralised procurement of grains at the doorsteps of farmers by suitably changing the APMC laws.

The Kharif (rainy season) crop that follows in June is also likely to be impacted. Though the seed industry has been allowed to function, seed processing and packaging industries are seriously constrained due to workforce unavailability.

Transportation and other logistics have to be organised well for the smooth availability of seeds and other agro-inputs at right time. There is need to connect all missing links for the functioning of food supply chains.

Dairy, a major source of cash and stability for Indian farmers, especially smallholders in dry regions, is significantly affected. About 500,000 tons of milk is produced daily and nearly 15-20 per cent of the market surplus is procured by traditional sweetmakers, who remain closed. The uptake of milk by organised sector has also reduced due to workforce shortages and transport problems in certain regions. The dairy industry and the government need to intervene immediately as milk production is not only a source of livelihood for smallholders but also a major source of nutrition. The industry’s large entities like Amul and others may come forward to procure additional milk from local vendors through their collection centres, which continue to operate. Karnataka government’s step to procure extra milk and distribute it free to poor people is also worth emulating by other states.

This unprecedented situation has an equal or higher economic impact on the more enterprising farmers growing high-value commodities like fruits, vegetables, dairy, fishery, etc. and hence they also need to be compensated. This lockdown may worsen the agrarian crisis if farmers are not ensured a minimum income for the next few months and their losses compensated through appropriate measures. Homeward exodus of migrant workers from states with intensive farming like Punjab not only affects agriculture, but also the livelihoods of migrants if the lockdown continues further. The proposed One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), which entitles beneficiaries to claim subsidised food irrespective of their place of residence, may avert such hardship in future. The situation calls for speedy implementation of ONORC and also revamping the PDS (designing evidence-based instruments combining physical delivery and food stamps). Besides innovating the PDS systems, government needs to encourage decentralised food systems with increased consumption of local traditional foods, diversifying farming/food systems, urban farming and improving the capacity of farmers to safely store food for their household consumption.

Though the government has permitted agriculture activity and export of key agricultural commodities during the lockdown, it remains subdued because of labour constraint. The migrant workforce will remain indispensable, both for industry and agriculture, in the future as well. We should learn from this crisis to create a transparent mechanism that provides a safety net to the trained migrant workforce avoiding personal miseries and losses to the economy under such concerning situations.

This challenge also calls for greater R&D efforts and innovative business models for mechanization on small farms. At present, a publicly accessible inventory of farm machines at block/sub-district level is needed. Smartphones and digital tools could be the best way of communicating with all stakeholders. Moreover, the continuity of agri-supply chains could also be promoted by supportive actions for e-Commerce and delivery companies.

Though central and state governments in India have acted quickly to help the agriculture sector navigate this unprecedented crisis, more immediate corrective steps as outlined are needed to ensure food security and to support agriculture to fuel India’s economic growth.

Originally published in Outlook.

About the authors

After the announcement of nationwide lockdown for 21 days, the FM declared a relief package of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. At a time when large crowds of poor and marginalised people are struggling to sustain; and the perils of hunger, joblessness, disease, and death looming large in their faces, the announcement of the economic relief package is indeed an appropriate step and provides a ray of hope. In a bid to provide immediate and material assistance to workers in the unorganised sector, migrant workers, as well as the urban and rural poor who have been left without food and money in their hands, the FM detailed the modalities for transfer. As per the newly christened Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, an additional 5 kg of wheat or rice per household, and 1 kg of pulses available regionally will be given free for three months to 60% population.

Majority of rural people are expected to benefit from these measures. The immediate benefit would be from the early release of first installment of Rs 2,000 directly under PM-KISAN. Moreover, the government has increased the wage rate of workers under MGNREGS, that is expected to take care of the needs of wage earners including agricultural labourers (who don’t get benefit under PM-KISAN).

While the salaried middle-class is learning to cope with this unprecedented shutdown across the country, it is creating substantial hardships for the poorer sections, who have lost only means of livelihood.

At a time when the worst-hit people are facing dejection from the scare of deprivation on a day-to-day basis, the announcement of the relief package comes as a reassurance. However, while these are benign measures, challenges in implementation abound. The most crucial challenge that rears its head in these times is the temporal lag between the time when they are needed and the actual time of delivery. This is especially true in the delivery of the most critical forms of support —food and cash (both for the urban and rural poor). Despite the rush in implementing food and cash transfers, grains from the PDS will take its time in moving from godowns and warehouses to the fair price shops from where people may be able to purchase for consumption. To avoid any possible transmission through gatherings, few state governments have already started door delivery of the PDS items. It’s indeed good news. Given the vast geographical spread of the virus in the country, a more decentralised approach for distribution of food through local food supply chains might ameliorate the dire situation.

Smooth functioning of the supply chain (with adequate safety measures for the people involved) have to be ensured by the government machinery, as the prevailing crisis situation presents well-aligned incentives for hoarding and rent seeking among the ill-intentioned providers.

Cash transfers, too, are going to be made via DBT reaching the promised sum straight into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. However, this itself would exclude a substantial number of those who were intended to benefit from the programme, given the limited registration. It is unlikely that migrant workers would wait out the doles before undertaking more active and drastic survival measures. The colossal crisis facing us and its unimaginable impact on human lives necessitates the government to overlook the fiscal impact of these measures. But if these benefits do not reach the needy in time, the human and economic repercussions will be significant.

This is peak of the Rabi season and therefore, movements of farmers and farm workers as well as machines for harvesting and other critical operations are extremely essential. As government has already waived restrictions on inter- and intra-state movement of harvesting and related farm machineries along with procurement operations, it is expected that harvesting of Rabi crops would not face much problem. A good farm harvest after all will decide future strategy. At this unprecedented time, when both manufacturing and services might get severely hit, farm sector could salvage the situation by becoming a growth engine for Indian economy.

About the authors

Smriti Verma & Anjani Kumar are agricultural economists at the South Asia Office office, IFPRI and

Arabinda K Padhee, Director, Country Relations and Business Affairs – New Delhi, ICRISAT.

How do you look at the current situation from the perspective of a scientist and a policy maker?

The present situation is partly due to global conditions. Nevertheless, there are ample pathways of minimizing damage. Education is particularly important in order to promote containment.

How to mitigate from the impact of pandemic on agrarian India?

Currently, the problem is one of labour, both for agriculture and post-harvest operations. A massive skill training programme will have to be undertaken and landless labour and women farmers in particular would need advanced assistance to take care of their immediate needs. Pricing and marketing, as well as storage and value addition, are important components of a revival plan.

How do you look at the migration of labour back to their hometowns?

It is unfortunate that labour had to return to their hometowns due to the loss of jobs and livelihoods. Agriculture promotes job-led economic growth and we should start preparing for the rehabilitation of those who are currently leaving agriculture due to the extraordinary circumstances.

Every situation has both good and bad impacts, can India turn this migration into positive results?

It is true that every calamity also provides an opportunity for strengthening the ecological base of agriculture. There are a number of studies coming today on how the negative impact on production can be alleviated, particularly with reference to procurement and marketing.

What kind of techno scientific interventions you suggest for such unprecedented situation?

The most important intervention we need is in the field of post-harvest technology – storage, processing, value addition and marketing are important components of intervention. While production technology has advanced, post-harvest technology as well as infrastructure are inadequate. We should pay attention to all aspects of agriculture from seed to seed.

You are the father of the nation’s Green Revolution, what are your suggestions to common people, businessmen and policy makers in current situation?

My advice is to develop greater pride and confidence in our farmers and farming, based on how they converted a ‘ship to mouth’ existence into a legal ‘right to food’. Farmers and farming were given low prestige in the past. This situation should change and we should regard every farmer as a scientist.

Originally published in Business World

About the author:

Prabodh Krishna

Dr AK Padhee, Director, Country Relations and External Affairs, ICRISAT, presented his views on the main issues that farmers across India would be facing as a fallout of the outbreak, simultaneously suggesting some key steps to resolve the challenges:

• Harvesting and procurement operations: One way to deal with challenges arising out of lack of labor (due to temporary laborers migrating back to their villages) for harvesting activities would be to leverage the NREGA funds for smallholder/marginal farmers to (at least partially) pay for labor on their fields
• Supply chain of perishable foods: Logistic support should be provided to such producers in order make the most of a high-supply and high-demand situation, which is likely to arise once the lockdown period is ended
• Farm labor migration: Apart from utilizing combine harvesters and other farm machinery for harvesting purposes, promoting custom hiring centers for farm equipment is a viable option to be considered. Also engaging Farmer-Producer Organizations for this purpose will be helpful
• Welfare measures by government: We need clear plans to ensure that government welfare measures e.g. cash transfers under PM Kisan and PM Garib Kalyan Yojana reach the beneficiaries seamlessly
• Agricultural inputs for next sowing season: Pre-positioning of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc. at centralized locations in time for the kharif sowing season will help mitigate the challenge of supplying farmers with these critical inputs at the right time.

Additionally, Dr Padhee suggested that small and medium enterprises (SMEs), e-commerce and delivery enterprises and agri-startups be incentivized through appropriate government policies as feasible and practical solutions. Setting up of a round-the-clock helpline for farmers to call for any questions or grievances specific to the COVID-19 pandemic was also recommended.

Dr Padhee made a special reference to Dr B Janardhan Reddy, Principal Secretary to the Agriculture & Cooperation Department of Telangana state, who was also part of the webinar. He said that this was a good opportunity to nudge policy decisions towards nutricereals (such as millets and sorghum) and legumes – some of ICRISAT’s mandate crops – since they are nutritious and promote sustainable agriculture in the end.

The webinar ‘Supporting Agriculture and Horticulture in COVID-19: Practical Approaches and Strategies’, conducted on 22 Apr 2020 jointly by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FTCCI). The online session saw participation from about 200 delegates.

Reported by Rajani Kumar, Sr Communications Officer, ICRISAT.

With food supply chains worldwide at a risk of disruption over the coming year, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating an earlier, more widespread, more entrenched crisis, one that impacts more than 820 million people: global hunger.

Difficulty in maintaining food production, restrictions on trade and limitations on labour mobility can lead to lower farm incomes and food shortages, adding another layer of complexity to the global fightback against Covid-19.

So, as doctors and nurses rally to save as many patients as possible, governments and public authorities must protect the rest of the world’s most vulnerable by recognising the fundamental role of agriculture in minimising the multiplier threat of coronavirus, and warding off more hunger and poverty.

The threat is greatest in countries where malnutrition is already high yet agricultural production, often carried out by ageing, vulnerable farmers, remains the backbone of the economy. In several African countries, including Kenya, Mali and Chad, agriculture, forestry and fishing account for more than a third of gross domestic product (GDP) and as much as 58 per cent in Sierra Leone.

With so much at stake, these regions and nations need both short-term support to ensure this extraordinary pandemic does not create an even worse hunger crisis, as well as long-term support to be able to thrive despite other global threats to food security, including climate change and crop pests.

To deliver on this, policymakers must take clear, pre-emptive actions based on leading science and research to bolster and protect the agricultural sector.

Many parts of the world are entering a new planting season, yet farmers are likely to be facing unusual financial pressures that might limit their access to seeds, inputs and labour and prevent them from planting as normal.

Governments and landlords could firstly consider easing this burden by reducing or delaying farmers’ tax and social insurance payments and lowering their rents.

Further along the chain, farm labourers also need support. Many will be migrant workers prevented from working by travel restrictions and in turn, prevented from sowing the seeds and reaping the harvests needed to provide continuous food supplies.

Germany has already taken steps to relax restrictions for farm workers, who should be deemed essential around the world.

Secondly, the global food market also needs careful management, while avoiding protectionist measures that would undermine world markets, to limit the risk of food shortages in regions or countries.

We have already seen Vietnam and Cambodia  banning some exports of crops like rice, which shifts the dynamic of the global food chain and could drive up global prices and limit supplies elsewhere.

For example, in previous outbreaks of Ebola, rice prices in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone increased by more than 30 per cent and the price of cassava, a staple in Liberia, skyrocketed by 150 per cent.

About the author:

Crises are times of incomplete data. Stakeholders must make decisions based on the data they have and leverage the best expert input available to them to navigate a fluid situation. The strength of our networks matters for collective sense-making.

CGIAR’s global partnerships represent a critical network for diagnosing, predicting, and informing responses to food security shocks.

The Platform benefits from these partnerships and builds on them through open, collaborative Communities of Practice in big data research; driving open data standards and sharing; alignment with digital-first food system actors such as the Strike Two Summit, and on-the-ground digital innovation projects through the CGIAR Inspire Challenge.

These partners continue to inform and strengthen our collective sense-making as we examine the evolving food security implications of the COVID-19 crisis.

Here is what we are seeing:

1. Disruption and isolation of global supply chains. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization has called on stakeholders and governments to avert unnecessary blockages to global food flows. They note that low and middle-income countries account for around a third of the world’s food trade, which provides very significant contributions to incomes and welfare and plays a critical role in global food security. Our networks and Reuters News report that these blockages are already happening worldwide, especially for perishable goods. Migrant or seasonal labor is constrained, and as a result many of the more labor-intensive crops will not get to market.
2. Constraints on agricultural inputs and production: Many parts of the world are entering planting season, and agricultural input supply chains are disrupted. Again labor shortages may appear at critical points of the cropping season.
3. Localization of food systems. Global and national disruption and isolation is driving localization of food systems. While localization and regionalization are important for self-sufficiency, global food flows are essential for accessible prices, global food system stability, and reaching the most vulnerable with food assistance.
4. Price disruptions and signals of potential speculation. Supply of perishable goods appears particularly disrupted and to be leading to some price volatility. We have begun to see potential signals of this in commodity prices, and it could well intensify if past crises are any indication.
5. Digitally-enabled firms are better equipped. Digitized enterprise resource planning, distribution, promotion, and transactions are proving to be key tools for quick localization or rapid set-up of digital commerce. Enterprises of all sizes that do not have these in place are being hit harder by the crisis.
6. High-frequency monitoring data are critical. Our existing systems for monitoring prices, crop health, movement of goods and people, consumption, and the supporting natural resources and ecosystems are still insufficient for enabling the living, dynamic sense-and-response capabilities we need to mitigate the effects of the crisis on food systems and equip them for long-term resiliency.
7. The recovery may not be “V-shaped.” In the near term, economic activity will likely “walk” rather than “run” as the crisis subsides, leaving broken supply chains, disrupted payment networks, and several industries struggling to return to previous levels for years to come.
8. Social media are influencing behavior and accelerating new means of intermediation. Trusted social networks are critical for navigating crises, and social media—much maligned for being a vehicle for disinformation—is also part of the solution. Trusted digital networks can help fill the gaps for connecting supply, consumption, price information, and labor in new ways.

These observations are imperfect snapshots of an evolving situation, but they are the basis for continual learning as we target our responses.

The whole of CGIAR is pivoting its 2020 plans towards response, recovery, and long-term resiliency of global food in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

The Platform for Big Data in Agriculture is supporting that effort, leveraging its cross-cutting, big-data enabling, and partnership role within CGIAR as we work together towards recovering and (re)building resilient global food systems.

Originally published on CGIAR’s Platform for Big Data site.

About the author:

Brian King, Platform Coordinator, CGIAR Platform for Big Data.

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is primarily a health crisis, of course – but it is affecting all parts of society and the economy, a major result being that people are especially worried about where their next meal will come from. With agricultural and food systems reeling globally, the focus of decision-makers is, at the moment, mainly on the business end of the food chain: on keeping global trade moving, supermarkets stocked and people fed. It is not the virus causing large numbers of people to flee Delhi and other large cities in the developing world, but the fear of hunger.

But farmers need to keep producing and selling too, as well as middlemen buying, processors processing. It’s too early to say how exactly the food system will be impacted in the long term. One thing is certain, though: to mitigate the effects of future shocks of the kind we’re currently experiencing, and to allow us to bounce back from them, there needs to be diversity in all parts of the food chain.

In our daily search for pasta and flour, not to mention toilet paper, we are now learning the hard way the benefits of having ready access to more than just one supermarket. In the same way, food companies minimize the risks to their business by counting on multiple suppliers for their raw materials. And farmers, even in a single locality, are more resilient if they grow more than one crop, and even more so if they are able to choose from among different varieties of each crop provided by seed companies and other sources.

But where does such diversity come from?

All too often, we place the beginning of the food chain at the farm, when in fact it extends back further – all the way back to seed banks, also called genebanks. These treasure troves of seeds safeguard the diversity of our crops and make it available to researchers and plant breeders, who in turn use it to develop the knowledge and new varieties that farmers, and consumers like you and me, need. Properly dried and stored at low temperature, seeds of most crops can be kept for decades. If their condition is properly monitored, they can be thawed out and multiplied before they lose viability. If data on their characteristics is easily available, researchers can request the samples they need for their work at the click of a mouse button.

ICARDA Lebanon Genebank Manager Mariana Yazbek says staff are conducting essential tasks to manage field trials. Staff work in a rotation and go directly from their homes to the field, and then back to home. While at work, staff maintain social distancing guidelines and make sure the daily workers are also abiding by the standards. Photo: ICARDA

Our crops are just as vulnerable to a multitude of pathogens as we are to the coronavirus. Researchers use the diversity in genebanks to breed varieties that can withstand pathogen attacks, better cope with the changing climate, that are more nutritious, keep longer and taste better. Genebanks underpin the resilience of farmers and of our food system.

We don’t think much about the raw materials behind food as we go through our daily lives, especially when we’re stuck at home in lockdown. But we should. There are hundreds of genebanks around the world – most countries have one – but among the largest, most widely used, and most globally important are the 11 managed by a global agricultural research consortium called the CGIAR. They conserve and make available to users, free of charge, more than 700,000 different types of seeds and other materials.

The CGIAR’s genebanks are going through a difficult time at the moment, just like the rest of us. With social distancing and other restrictions on movement, genebank staff are scrambling to get harvests in before they’re lost; to tend to vulnerable plants in labs, greenhouses and fields; and to maintain other critical conservation measures that are keeping unique diversity alive. It’s an all-hands-on-deck crisis, but maintaining safety paradoxically means that help must also be limited.

Should a genebank lose samples, there are back-ups of many of them in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, thanks to the planning done by many people over many years for such eventualities. Genebanks can rebuild their collections from safety duplicated seeds, as the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was able to do when it lost access to its facilities in Aleppo, Syria due to the civil war.

ICRISAT Head of Genebank Vania Azevedo says the pandemic struck at the most critical time of the year as they have all their crops in the field and harvest just started. The ICRISAT campus went on total lockdown. However, some staff volunteered to remain on the campus to guarantee the harvest. Photo: ICRISAT

However, the case is different when it comes to conserving roots, tubers and some other vegetative crops, which cannot be saved in the same manner as seeds are in a cold room. For crops such as potato, sweet potato, cassava, banana and yam, the hope is to build collections that can be duplicated and moved around using cryopreservation – an alternative method of cooling tissues, involving deep-freezing with liquid nitrogen.

The CGIAR genebanks will survive this crisis and ramp activities back up to full throttle once it’s over. A significant proportion of their funding is guaranteed, thanks to the endowment of the Crop Trust. The operations of the genebank of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), for example, home to over 100,000 different rice varieties, are funded by the endowment for the long-term, forever in fact. It’s therefore immune to the vagaries of donor priorities and financial shocks. Another USD 200 million in the endowment would secure the other 10 CGIAR genebanks in the same way.

It’s less easy to be so sanguine about the genebanks of many developing countries. At times of crisis like this, cash-strapped governments are likely to push genebanks even further down than usual on their list of priorities. They need to resist that temptation. Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is making clear just how much we need genebanks now, and that we’ll need them even more in the future in the continuing face of climate change and outbreaks of new crop pests and diseases.

So yes, it is the right time to think about genebanks. It’s always the right time.

About the authors:

Luigi Guarino, Director of Science, The Crop Trust, and
Charlotte Lusty, Head of Programs and Genebank, Platform Coordinator, The Crop Trust

But the novel coronavirus increasingly illuminates a serious underlying fragility that goes well beyond health. This fragility stems from the fact that our health, energy, finance, and food systems are all inextricably connected. There is a clear lesson here for us about how supply chains that cross multiple borders are vulnerable to climate change and a host of other intersecting risks associated with our global systems. Understanding climate change as a compounding risk factor is now an urgent priority, with implications for how we perceive the need for climate change mitigation and adaptation in both developed and developing countries.

Climate change is a global risk multiplier

As demand for food has increased in line with a burgeoning global population, our global food systems and the natural resources they rely on are already under strain. And in many places in the developing world, climate change impacts and vulnerability add extra pressure, threatening food systems, livelihoods, and health.

As numbers of infections rise in the developing world, a bigger food systems crisis looms

The spread of COVID-19 in the Global South will compound these pressures on food systems. Consumer access to food and producer access to markets could be impacted significantly if there is a ban on the sale of food outside of grocery stores. Incomes and thus food security for people who rely on casual labor for their livelihoods would be threatened by a lockdown. In Africa, the virus could take a significant toll on food production itself if it sickens the aging agricultural workforce or prevents women, who produce 70% of Africa’s food and are often tasked with caring for the elderly, from getting to the fields. This comes even as Africa is on the verge of a food crisis faced with a locust invasion, the worst infestation in the last 25 years.

But COVID-19 has shown us that climate change is a risk multiplier for food systems in the developed world as well. If you live in one of the countries hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, chances are you are familiar with empty grocery store shelves, have seen evidence of restaurants and their suppliers struggling to stay afloat during closures, and may know people who are turning to food banks to feed their families after losing their jobs. While to most of us, this has felt extreme, things could get much worse. In the background, as numbers of infections rise in the developing world, a bigger food systems crisis looms. The globally interconnected nature of food systems means that countries in the developed world will soon feel the impacts of COVID-19 in countries in the developing world.

New research needed to understand risk

In the UK, for instance, even before the novel coronavirus took hold, researchers noted the vulnerability of the nation’s food systems. The 2017 UK Climate Change Risk Assessment summarizes the implications well: “Adaptation efforts focused on the UK’s domestic production of food will have only marginal success because of the global interconnected nature of food systems…” COVID-19 will bring to the fore the consequences of our failure to adequately mitigate climate change and find adaptation solutions in agriculture.

Food system actors all along the value chain will be affected in different ways. Governments, the private sector, NGOs, and farmers alike are already grappling with the implications for current and future of food systems. Research is urgently needed to better understand how producers, consumers, and all the businesses in between will be affected by changes in supply and demand, as COVID forces shifts in farm labor, planting schedules, imports and prices.

In places with less stability, if food security is threatened, civil tension and unrest are a real possibility. In fragile countries already suffering from food insecurity and climate change impacts, COVID-19 can potentially slip into conflict around access to increasingly scarce resources. We will need new research to understand how risks cascade across sectors and borders and their potential impacts on food system actors, and new approaches that account for interconnected risks.

Disruption as opportunity

We should seize the opportunity to opt for business unusual

When all of this is over, what kind of world do we want to go back to? The responses to COVID-19 around the globe demonstrate that speedy, collective action is possible. We have shown ourselves that we are capable of drastic lifestyle changes when called upon to act in the name of the greater good. 2019 was the year we woke up to the climate emergency; the year the language changed. It’s imperative not to lose the momentum we’ve worked hard to build—and to do this, we will need to make the most of the current situation.

As the world has ground to a halt over the last month, we are finding ways to work from home, travel less, make do with less. And there is ample evidence of benefits for the environment: reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, the return of wildlife, and more. We should strive to maintain these unexpected gains. When the crisis fades it will be all too easy to return to business as usual; instead we should seize the opportunity to opt for business unusual and collectively push for changes, in food systems and elsewhere, for a climate positive future.

By Andrew Challinor (University of Leeds), Dhanush Dinesh, Peter Läderach  and Marissa Van Epp (CCAFS)

Original article on CCAFS blog

Members of the Agriculture and Rural Development working group of the international Scaling Up community of practice held a virtual meeting to discuss these questions and how scaling-up innovations could help to recover from the current crisis and mitigate future ones.

Poor rural communities are particularly vulnerable

When it comes to a highly contagious disease, being in a rural area sounds better than being in a busy city, but that is a deceptive impression. Smallholder farmers often are older than average and hence more vulnerable to the virus, and they have less access to health services.

They also depend on field laborers that are not able to travel from surrounding villages to help with planting, weeding and harvesting. To process crops, smallholder farmers need to transport crops to processing centers, which may be closed, as are the markets where they obtain agricultural inputs or sell farm products. Large international agrobusiness firms, which supply inputs and purchase local famers’ products may withdraw, at least temporarily, from the rural economies. There are already reports of farmers feeding cattle strawberries and broccoli in India, as they are unable to get their goods to the market.

Most farmers also depend on non-farm and off-farm activities for their livelihoods, as they may be field laborers for other farmers, work in the processing industry or work in construction. Interrupted transportation and closures pose serious challenges to maintain safe business continuity throughout the rural economy. The risk is not only that immediate rural production, food deliveries, exports, employment and incomes will collapse, but also that planting for next year’s crops will be disrupted.

It is key to differentiate between global and local supply chains, which will suffer in different ways. For example, in Uganda, supermarkets are open but small, informal markets are closed. In past crises, governments have focused on the survival of global value chains over local ones. Small, rural businesses are more likely to close permanently than large international ones.

Globally, international support for agriculture and rural development has been lagging in recent years.  Today, the international support from aid agencies and NGOs is interrupted, as travels are restricted and community meetings are prohibited. With increased donor attention to a domestic and international health crisis, aid for rural communities may drop precipitously.

Men transport wheat straw on donkey karts in Ethiopia’s Dodula district. Photo: Peter Lowe, CIMMYT

Opportunities for an improved “new normal” as we respond to the crisis

The short-term response to help minimize the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the rural poor is critical, but we also need to support the shaping of a “new normal” where rural food systems are resilient, profitable and inclusive for poor rural communities. Members of the Scaling Up community of practice explored various ideas.

First, the COVID-19 pandemic could present opportunities to break silos and show how closely health and agriculture are related.

“COVID-19 cuts across sectors and jurisdictions in ways that single organizations and established governance structures are ill-equipped to accommodate,” said Larry Cooley, Scaling Expert and Founder and President Emeritus of Management Systems International (MSI)

For example, rural agricultural extension networks could be used to disseminate information on health awareness and education around COVID-19 and collect data on local impacts. This may cause and provide relief in the short term, but may also provide opportunities for collaboration in the long run.

“Our agricultural networks go deep into the rural areas and we are training our agri-entrepreneurs in India to disseminate health messages, products and services to help address COVID-19,” said Simon Winter, Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation.

“At the African Development Bank we are providing emergency relief finance and re-purposing funding to have a link with COVID-19,” said Atsuko Toda, the bank’s Director of Agricultural Finance and Rural Development.

Second, a “new normal” could also mean an even stronger independence from externally funded projects, experts and solutions to more local ownership and expertise in rural areas, something that the community of practice has been promoting strongly. We could help to support more autonomy of the farmer, a strong local market and scale-up local value chains. Strengthening the capacity of small and medium enterprises linking farmers to urban markets could help ensure stability in future economic shocks.

“Governments and donor ‘projects’ looked too much at export and global value chains. I see great opportunities to scale up local and regional input and output value chains that benefit local farmers and small and medium enterprises,” said Margret Will, expert on value chains.

Third, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to accelerate the scaling of innovations.

“Lack of access to labor could be disrupting harvesting and planting in our Feed the Future countries, accelerating an already predominant trend of migration, especially among the young, to urban areas. We see a looming need for mechanization of farms at scale, using mini-tillers, planters, harvesters and other time- and labor-saving equipment,” said Mark Huisenga, Senior Program Manager for the USAID Bureau for Resilience and Food Security.

Masimba Mawire collects bare maize cobs after removing the grain using a mechanized maize sheller in Zimbabwe. Photo: Matthew O’Leary, CIMMYT

Rural communities that use more ecological intensive practices, such as conservation agriculture and push-pull farming or safe storage practices are less dependent on external inputs and labor.

The current crisis forces us to use digital communication systems, replace human work with digital tools where possible and use technology to help target interventions. Both the public and private sector could build on this opportunity to invest in increased access to internet, electricity and other digital resources, including in impoverished areas. All these technological innovations can help farmers to better cope with the constraints of COVID-19 and any future crises or stresses to the food system, while also making agriculture more productive and more attractive to the young.

“The pandemic creates an opportunity to accelerate the use of digital technologies in smallholder agriculture, not only for extension advice but to crowdsource information about COVID-19 impacts,” said Julie Howard, Senior Advisor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Finally, COVID-19 will change our global governance system, and the agriculture, research and development sector has a role to play in this transformation. A systems change must focus on dietary diversity and food safety and security, paying attention to the rural poor in low- and middle-income countries. We can work together to scale cross-sector platforms to build solid networks and scale-up innovations to strengthen sustainable and resilient food systems.

Systems change beyond the agricultural sector, sustainability through local ownership and uptake of innovations that support profitable and resilient agricultural and related rural activities are key components of how the Scaling Up Community of Practice approaches scaling. A systems change is imminent, and it is important to support a transformation in a direction where local markets, rural labor and regional economies come out stronger in the long term. This requires vision, expertise, mobilization of resources, information sharing and crowdsourced leadership, and the network of scaling experts can contribute to this.

The Agriculture and Rural Development working group of the international Scaling Up community of practice is made up of individuals from more than 100 official donors, foundations, think tanks, research and development organizations united by their interest in scaling the impact of innovations on food security and rural poverty. Areas of particular interest for the group include designing for scale, using scaling frameworks, learning about scaling, responsible scaling, sustainability and system thinking. Members of the working group include professionals with vast experience from the field, and the group explicitly tries to learn from the application of complex concepts such as sustainability, systems change and scaling in real world settings by local actors. In addition to quarterly virtual meetings, the working group encourages and supports exchanges among its members on a variety of subjects. Participation in, and management of, the Agriculture and Rural Development working group is done on a purely voluntary basis.

Originally published on the CIMMYT website https://www.cimmyt.org/blogs/dont-forget-about-the-impact-ofcovid-19-on-the-rural-poor-and-on-food-security/

About the Authors:

Lennart Woltering — Scaling catalyst at CIMMYT and chair of the Agriculture and Rural Development working group.

Johannes Linn — Non-resident Senior Fellow at Brookings and former Vice President of the World Bank.

Maria Boa — Scaling coordinator at CIMMYT and secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development working group

Mary Donovan — Communications Consultant at CIMMYT.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors.

Last date for entries: 30 August, 2020

Prizes will be awarded to the best entries in the following categories:

Category 1 – Essays and Reports: The most innovative research paper, article, essay, or journal article bringing solution to African issues.

Category 2 – Visual Arts: The most innovative infographic, illustration, video

Category 3 – IT products and services: The most innovative applications and tools

Category 4 – High School Projects: The most innovative high school project

To know more about the challenge including categories, eligibility, participation and prizes, visit https://www.resakss.org/challenge/

The expert panel included Dr David Nabarro, Special Envoy of WHO Director General on COVID-19 and 2018 World Food Prize Laureate; Dr Catherine Bertini, Distinguished Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs and 2003 World Food Prize Laureate; and Dr Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor, China Agricultural University, World Food Prize Foundation Council of Advisors. The Dialogue, centered around disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic and their solutions, was moderated by Dr Barbara Stinson, President, World Food Prize Foundation.

We bring you excerpts of some of the main points of the conversation.

Dr Stinson: What are the biggest threats to food systems right now?

Dr Nabarro: The current restrictions on movement are seriously impeding food production and distribution, leading to increased food and nutrition insecurity. To deal with this we need international coordination, otherwise the resilience of food systems will be severely undermined.

Dr Fan: This is the biggest crisis to food systems that I’ve seen in my 37 years of work. According to some UN estimates, the number of poor and hungry people in the world could double in 2020. Spring planting of crops has to be ensured to prevent the entire year’s food production from being jeopardized.

Dr Stinson: What are the immediate actions we should take?

Dr Bertini: The first 1000 days of a child are very important for her lifelong health and wellbeing. We need to, therefore, focus on providing nutrition to pregnant women and young children on an urgent basis. Manufacture and distribution of food for these sections should be taken care of immediately. Also, several women are having to take on extra burdens of home care, child care and professional work as essential service providers. We need to ensure the safety and wellbeing of women, specifically.

Dr Fan: Cooperation across all levels of governance – international, national, provincial/state, and community – is needed right now. We all have to work together in this as this is everyone’s responsibility.

Dr Nabarro: The effect of this outbreak will last for the next 2-3 years. So first, we need to focus on the vulnerable sections – daily wagers, women and children, differently abled people – who are particularly at greater risk at such a time. Smallholder farmers need support to reach local markets. We need to figure out imaginative solutions based on scientific evidence.

Dr Stinson: What could the rest of the world learn from China’s experience to deal with the key challenges in food systems due to COVID-19?

Dr Fan: Firstly, there should be no bans on any food exports by any nation; global trade should be allowed to continue – global institutions and coalitions of nations should ensure this. Secondly, every country should have two months’ supply of food as strategic reserves, in view of future emergencies or disasters. Also, scientific evidence in the form of data is very essential and useful. Researchers should come together to collect and analyze event-related data.

Dr Bertini: Food assistance is not just about food distribution anymore; there are food vouchers etc. now, which are better options, provided there IS available food. So we need to look at building capacities to make food available to those who most need it… maybe create local opportunities to access food and supply it to where it’s needed.

Dr Stinson: What are the critical weak points exposed by the virus outbreak and what opportunities can arise out of this crisis?

Dr Nabarro: This is the time for world leaders to reach out and reassure global communities with messages of hope, support and assistance. Solidarity between nations is very critical at this time.

Dr Fan: Eastern Africa was already under threat by desert locusts destroying standing crops worth millions. COVID-19 will add to their food supply challenges. This is the time when international aid needs to focus on this region specifically.

Dr Bertini: Every individual and community need to check with their surroundings and work out opportunities to contribute. Apart from food, there are ways to help out with medical supplies, transport facilities, logistics etc.

Audience question: What is your vision for a ‘new normal’ for the future, once the pandemic is under control?

Dr Bertini: Going forward, I’d like to see a greater connection between farmers and consumers, so that consumers understand better what, when and how farmers produce food; and farmers could understand their (potential) market needs.

Dr Fan: Trade will become more inclusive and resilient. Also, we should hope to find a better balance between our food needs and nature, ensuring proper regulation in food supply systems to monitor food safety, especially in wild foods.

Dr Nabarro: Ensuring health and wellbeing is the primary purpose of food systems. Smallholder farmers are at the heart of the food systems, and their resilience is very important. We need to ensure that farmers are at the hub of food systems of the future.

We also need to find ways to reduce agriculture- and livestock-related emissions in order to reduce their impact on climate change.

In conclusion, the panelists agreed that a deep rethinking on the idea of food systems was the need of the hour, particularly keeping farmers, women and nature in mind. Dr Nabarro added that since women leaders have shown exceptional direction in handling this crisis, any redesign of food systems should feature women in the center of it.

The Digital Dialogue was held on 16 April 10 am ET.  Over 600 people including, scientists, analysts, policy makers, students, medical professionals and academicians joined the Dialogue from remote locations virtually.

About the author:

Rajani Kumar
Sr Communication Officer, ICRISAT

Pooling resources: Lessons learnt from handling the current rabi (postrainy) harvest during the lockdown are shaping the business model for the upcoming kharif (monsoon). Different companies will have to come together to meet the seed needs of a village as a unit. Shared railway wagons that crisscross India and shared auto-rickshaws/mini vans that drop seed packages at farmers’ homes were some ideas discussed to reach farmers with seed in time for the planting season that begins in two months. Travel restrictions, especially sudden clamps on a commutable area declared overnight as a red zone, shutting down of highway eateries and reluctant truck drivers have forced the industry to come up with new ideas to overcome the lockdown. The Government’s role in lifting curbs on agricultural produce transportation received appreciation.

Employees are a priority: Safety and health guidelines followed by companies like Corteva, US Agriseeds and Limagrain stressed on placement of hand sanitizers at entry points, workstations and vehicles, temperature scanning, disinfection, providing masks, biohazard disposal systems and social distancing in plant and lab. Some companies even have a doctor on their campus. Other issues discussed included difficulty in finding insurance providers for contract workers and exploring outsourcing options in case of insufficient internal capacity. Lesser operational efficiency, challenges in last mile delivery and having a plan B ready in the event of a COVID infection were discussed.

Managing cash flows: While it is indeed time to be thrifty with expenses, the advice was to safeguard relationships and not to get stingy with payments or end contracts. Keeping out of debt, balancing long-term and short-expenses with more thought on long-term consequences were some of the topics covered.

Ushering in technology: Mechanization and automation are future ideas being thought through for which a ‘mindset’ change is required and the current predicament could be the starting point for looking at efficient and faster ways to conduct operations. Digital marketing aspects were also touched upon.

Post-lockdown preparation: Ideas dealt with managing the scramble for work post lockdown, accelerating the supply chain, checking if plants and people were healthy enough to take on the extra workload and extending seed license validity.

The insights are from a webinar conducted by Gubba Seed Cold Storage on 13 April on the topic Covid-19 Seed industry challenges & how to overcome. The 90-minute webinar addressed issues from production, packing, marketing, finance to supply chain. There were over 470 participants.

The sessions were moderated by Mr Ram Koundinya, Federation of Seed Industry of India. Presentations were made by seed industry leaders Mr Gyanendra Shukla, Mr Ramana Rao GV, Mr Satish Ganiger, Mr Venkatram Vasanthavada and Mr Venkateshwarlu Yaganti.

For live recording click here

About the author:

Jemima Mandapati
Sr Communication Officer, ICRISAT

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive disruption it has caused in food supply chains, it is painfully clear that the poor and marginalized communities are the hardest hit. The Global Food Policy Report emphasizes that modern global food systems should be inclusive of not just the poor (e.g. smallholder farmers), but also other neglected groups such as women, youth and refugees from conflict-prone regions. The report advocates global policy-level interventions to make way for massive investments in research and development. Also, individual nations are advised to draft and implement policies within the local context.

Smallholder farmers

Across the world, smallholder farmers suffer an income disparity when compared to the significant role they play in global food productions. To balance this inequity, the report suggests the following steps:

• Promote agri-preneurship in a big way. This would require a) Infrastructure development (e.g. for faster delivery of produce to markets/processors) b) Quality regulation, for higher acceptance of agricultural products in markets and c) Skill training and capacity building of farmers to open farm/non-farm income-generation opportunities.
• Link farmers to relevant markets. This could be done by: a) Securing land tenures for giving farmers easier access to credit facilities and agri inputs b) Promoting collective action in agribusiness through farmer-producer organizations c) Leverage digital technology to connect farmers to extension services, markets, weather information etc. and d) Provide social protection in the form of cash or food to build resilience during hard times.

The report submits that more than one type of intervention might be required to make a difference, depending on the gaps in the food systems and local prevailing conditions.

Women

Although women farmers are actively involved in food systems in various ways —growing crops, tending livestock, working in agribusiness/food retail, feeding their families – their contributions are often not recognized. Typically, they have lesser education, fewer resources, lesser decision-making power and greater demands on their time, than men. Therefore, it is imperative that food systems take into consideration women’s needs and employ approaches that enable women to benefit equitably and empower them personally and as a community. A few steps have been highlighted in the report:

1. Data collection and analysis on value chains to identify opportunities for women
2. The private sector – spanning food production, processing, transportation and consumption – to incorporate guidelines on gender equality
3. Policies to create enabling environments for women’s empowerment in research and industry through incentives and regulations
4. Collaboration with all stakeholders (including men) to ensure sustained gains in women’s rights and progress.

Image from the report. Photo: IFPRI

Youth

Annually, sub-Saharan Africa adds about 20 million people young (working-age) people to its population. Rural youth in several African nations have to deal with land scarcity and lack of financial capital and/or other resources to start their own enterprises.

The report warns against generalized ideas, e.g. youth are well-versed in using technology in their farms. “In Ethiopia, for example, youth-headed households are less likely to use improved technologies such as fertilizers and seeds. In Ghana, it is the better-educated farmers, not young farmers per se, who use improved technologies.”

Hence, the report recommends policies for generating better economic opportunities, as opposed to polices that focus solely on “youth capabilities”. This would mean, for instance, investing in transportation, energy infrastructure as well as education.

Refugees

Long periods of war and other conflicts in parts of the world are one of the primary reasons of global hunger. The report states that in conflict-ridden areas, drought, economic shocks etc. exacerbate the distress, often contributing to large-scale migration. “An estimated 70.8 million people were forcibly displaced in 2018, the highest number in decades.” Conflicts in rural regions leads to increased food insecurity, which affects the food value chain, from production to marketing.

One of the ways to mitigate this is to include the affected populations to work towards building local agri food systems. This could be by:

1. Reviving local food systems by supplying tools, agricultural inputs, cash or livestock
2. Supporting rural residents who return to their homes post conflict
3. Enabling long-term refugees to access land and water
4. Setting up and reinforcing social protection systems for short-term relief and resilience-building

National-level strategies

Apart from the above, four national-level approaches have been recommended for inclusive food system transformations to offer improved nutrition to vulnerable populations.

1. Instead of thinking about increased food production, start from consumer demands and work back towards healthier diets
2. Synergizing technology, institutional capacity and infrastructure to contribute to systemic change
3. Developing countries to adapt policies to strike a balance between health, sustainability and overall wellbeing of all citizens.
4. Draft and implement policies to include people and places overlooked by existing policies.

The Global Food Policy Report also proposes greater efforts towards inclusive food systems policies in the regions Africa, Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The ninth annual report was launched on 7 April 2020 in a virtual event by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Click here to read the full report.