
Why smallholder farmers are key to African, global food security
One of the main challenges before the 5th United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) taking place in Qatar is how to unlock the potential of smallholder farmers. What can be done to increase their prosperity and improve food security? Global agriculture is at a crossroads. The planet is home to 8 billion people, a total which the UN predicts will rise to 10 billion by 2050. At the same time global food insecurity is rising due to the unprecedented rate of soil degradation and the increased frequency and severity of climate shocks, the pandemic, and regional conflicts. To…