Hi everyone,

Here is the aggregated input received on topic #6 - “Policies and small farms” 

Q6.1/7 - Question: “6.1.  What are the policies (international, national or local) in your region that affect the viability and development of small farms, and small farms’ decision making regarding the amount and type of food produced and their ambitions regarding market integration?"

From: Dominic Duckett <[log in to unmask]> (UK)
In reply to Viviane CdV <[log in to unmask]> (Italy) on the question from Dominic Duckett <[log in to unmask]> relating to conservation/production trade-offs (Q6.1/4)
 
I’m fascinated by the combined conservation and production challenges faced by small farmers. In this Italian case. Viviane describes what sounds like accidental rewilding with wolves reappearing in some areas in an unplanned way, possibly related to the effects of national or natural parks. SALSA is particularly interested in agricultural production on small farms as a component of food and nutrition security.
 In this regard we have asked small farmers to identify barriers to increasing their outputs and maximising the productive potential of their land. In various regions farmers have said that predation and destructive wildlife stops them from producing more food. 
Of course wildlife and conservation are valuable and enrich touristic and cultural landscapes. I am not for a minute suggesting that conservation is not of the utmost importance. 

However, I am 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?

I’m grateful to Viviane and hope we can widen and continue this discussion.


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Q6.2/6 - Question: “6.2.  Can you give specific examples of how these policies have affected small-farm decision-making?”

From: Gary Vaughan-Smith <[log in to unmask]> (UK-Tanzania)
Gary is the Chief Investment Officer at SilverStreet Capital. SilverStreet Capital invests into the African agricultural sector and its primary goal is to help develop agricultural value chains which support small-holder farmers.
We operate in Southern and Eastern Africa my comments below particularly apply to our Tanzanian project where we work with over 20,000 poultry farmers, over 80% of whom are women.
 
Example of how policies have affected small-farmers: 
The poultry industry is very young in Tanzania with consumption per capita only 12% of that of South Africa. Almost all poultry and egg production is done by small-holder farmers. 

In 2015 the Tanzanian government introduced VAT of 18% on poultry (and other) feed. Farmers were not able to increase egg and poultry prices correspondingly and this introduction of VAT led to reductions in egg and poultry production because poultry farming became less viable. The government listened to feed-back and removed VAT on feed in July 2017. 

We have seen a 50%+ increase in demand for feed and chicks in the 9 months since that date because farmers became viable again and were able to ramp up production. 
Poultry represents a higher value product for small-holder farmers, generally giving them a substantially higher income than grain farming. Women disproportionately benefit – in our case over 80% of poultry farmers that we work with are women.


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