Global experts urge States to curb impacts Covid-19 on small-scale farmers

Governments have been asked to ensure policies imposed to avert the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy do not affect farmers negatively.

Oliver Page, who is the regional climate change and environmental specialist at the International Fund for Agriculture Development (Ifad), said post-Covid-19 recovery measures must put small-scale farmers at the forefront.

He said climate change must remain a priority despite political and economic debates across the globe.

“Small-holder farmers are the most affected by the pandemic, in addition to the effects of climate change, countries must ensure that food production will not go down,” said Mr Page.

He said, access to water and sanitation is a human right and encouraged equitable access for water without instilling on water resources.

Mr Page said after the pandemic, it will not be green economy as usual and all people will have to pay.

“Wealthier nations and wealthier individuals will have to pay more during post recovery of the pandemic but eventually everyone will pay that calls for governments to empower and protect the rural farmers,” he said.

To deal with climate change, Mr Page said governments should expand the use of irrigation technologies to boost farming in their countries.

“For mountain areas that are vulnerable to high levels of erosion, the government must put in measures to protect the soil,” he said.

The lead technical specialist, environment and climate at Ifad Nicolas Tremblay said the economy focusing on growth may not be possible to safe.

“We need to review some of the basic indicators as an opportunity for farmers to address,” he said.

Mr Tremblay supports mainstreaming of environment and climate concerns in Ifad operations in near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia.

He said the environment must be protected at all cost.

“Government focus on rural development must remain very high in terms of climate change and handling the pandemic,” he said.

Mr Jonky Tenou, the Ifad task Manager of integrated approach programme fostering sustainability and resilience for food security in sub-Saharan Africa said govern private partnership is key at protecting food security in countries.

Mr Tenou said the Covid-19 pandemic should be a trigger of green recovery that should involve changing the indicators.

They were speaking during a question and answer reporting online session organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation as part of a Covid-19 professional development programme run in association with Ifad.