How best to help farmers

In this article, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN calls for urgent reform of government support to farmers so that more sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly food systems can be brought about.

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Worldwide, government support given to farmers currently relies strongly on measures that are distorting and harmful to nature, the climate, nutrition, health and equity. An urgent overhaul of agricultural support policies is required to achieve healthier, more sustainable, equitable and efficient food systems.

Between 2013 and 2018, governments spent an average of nearly US$540 billion [about R8,3 trillion] a year on direct support to individual farmers, which accounted for 15% of agricultural production value.

Approximately US$245 billion [R3,7 trillion] of support for farmers was provided in the form of fiscal subsidies, most of which were linked to the production of specific commodities or the use of specific inputs (coupled subsidies). This type of support leads to negative social, environmental (through overuse of agrochemicals and natural resources, and the promotion of monoculture) and nutritional outcomes (by disproportionately fostering production of staples versus fruits and vegetables).

Under a business-as-usual scenario, it is estimated that support to farmers could reach almost US$1,8 trillion [R27,5 trillion] by 2030.

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained public budgets worldwide. Today, more than ever, governments need to rethink how to use their limited resources most efficiently, and in ways that are not only fiscally viable, but support sustainable development, too.

With this in mind, there is growing urgency to repurpose agricultural support that has negative social, environmental and nutritional outcomes. Such alternative investments could be a driver of economic recovery after COVID- 19 and the transformation of food systems to enhance their sustainability, equity and efficiency while achieving better health outcomes.

REPURPOSING