Hi everyone,
As we’re closing the e-conference on Monday, now is the right time to aggregate all additional questions YOU, our dear participants, have raised, in relation to our discussion topics, over the past weeks. See below (and I hope I did not forget any. If I did, send me a mail).
So, hereby I kindly request your feedback on these.. You can send them to me, and please-please-please clearly mark the related question (“Qx.x" and who the question came from), so I can easily cross-reference your feedback.
Thanks!
Peter
On Topic #1: on cooperation among small farms
Q1.1 From Mayank Jain <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
Can someone share consumer cooperative examples that have helped the cause of small farmers?
(From the moderator: this is slightly different from small farms’ cooperation, but concentrates on consumer cooperation models.. do these help small farmers getting access to markets?..)
Q1.1 From: Teresa Pinto Correia <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (Portugal)
I would like to raise a question related to this topic. In Southern European countries there are soft skills required for a fruitful colaboration among small farmers, which is an issue. Small farmers, as many other groups in society, do not have the soft skills which are needed for cooperation to be established with a larger group, in the long run. Is this an issue in other contries and how is the issue tackled, to enhance the cooperation skills?
Q1.1 From: Manuela Bucciarelli <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (Italy)
Any resource anyone might have on soft skills development in the context of agriculture is very welcome for TAPipedia<http://tapipedia.org/>!
Q1.1 From: Mahesh Chander <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
Are there any connections the participants see, of youth with small scale farming sustainability?
On topic#4: on the future challenges for small farms
Q4.1: From: Teresa Pinto Correia <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (Portugal)
If a small farm does not have the skills (Moderator: or ability/opportunity) to colaborate, how does he/she get these skills? if you do not have access to knowledge or do not know how to use it, how can these skill be improved?
There are drivers which need to be there otherwise the solutions do not work, and "the acquisition of drivers" is my main question.
Q4.2: From Mayank Jain <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
How can we ensure that weather information obtained is processed and presented as an advisory to the farmers which has considerably helped them. Any success story to share and learn? Anyone?
(From the moderator: as climate change has a direct impact on small farmers, specifically on weather variations, weather information has become increasingly critical for small farmers, possibly defining the difference between a successful and a failed crop…)
Q4.2: From Winnona Merritt <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (USA)
How can farmers address issues of human relationships that impede cooperation? - the need for trust-building and trustworthiness, care for the common good, justice, transparency, open and fair consultation, etc etc ?
Does lack of addressing these issues stymie the best intentions and progressive initiatives? Are some places finding ways to address this? Is there a success story?
On Topic #6: How can policies affect small farm activities and their resilience?
Q6.1 From: Mayank Jain <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
I want to know the opinion of fellow participants on "contract farming" with small farmers, through examples across different geographies.
How does it help the cause of farmers? Because agriculture is not only a business but a way of living too. Isn't becoming employee in your own land taking us at an alarming pace closer to industrial agriculture?
(From the moderator: In many parts of the world, industrial agriculture might be considered as one of the main threats for small farmers. Is “contract farming” a viable “in-between” or not?)
Q6.1 From: Dominic Duckett <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (UK)
SALSA is interested to hear about and discuss experiences of small farmers and their advisors across Europe and Africa dealing with rapidly evolving (nature) conservation governance affecting the farming world (in the discussion examples were given of “foxes versus poultry” - “wolves versus live stock” - “farmers livestock wandering off into wildlife reserves..):
- Dominic is interested in how increasing agricultural production and conservation are operating together.
- How is today’s small farmer managing wildlife differently to the previous generation?
- Which new institutional and governance challenges and opportunities are emerging?
- How can we more successfully combine increased agricultural production and effective conservation on small farms?
- What is working and what is not working?
Q6.2 From: Irina Toma <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (Romania)
We're curious to hear whether you have any good examples of successful projects in your country:
- Do you know of any cases where agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) had good results on Food Nutritional Security (FNS) and market integration?
- Were these AKIS systems using any interesting communication/ICT technologies and innovations?
- Are there other cases where innovation policies helped solve key issues related to Food Nutritional Security (FNS)?
(From the moderator: And we can easily relate these to Topic #6 on local/regional/national policies…)
Q6.2 From: Dr.Mahesh Chander <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
I would like to know more on (and examples of) national level evidence based interventions of long term nature.
Q6.3 From: Viviane CdV <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (Italy)
Should national or regional policies protect small farms from perceived “unfair” competition from larger multi-national farms?
With the additional questions:
- who can give examples on the status/conflict/competition of small farms versus larger industrial farms. Can small farms still compete “fairly" with large industrial/multi-national farms? If policies would be needed to protect small farms, what would those policies need to be, according to you?
- is it even feasible to protect small farms versus larger industrial farming through policies - knowing the industrial farming companies - as Viviane points out - often have the political backing)
Q6.3 From: Mayank Jain <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> (India)
- I am interested to know measures taken for financial literacy (of small farmers) and its impact from different geographies.
- I sometimes find there is a total disconnect between bureaucracy and policies which leads to abuse/misuse of position or a policy. There are lot of armchair (policy) naysayers who design policies on whims and fantasies. Can I get some views on the same?
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