Saqib Bhatti MP, Member of Parliament for Meriden, sponsored an event in Parliament for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and the charity Farm Africa. The event celebrated the partnership between the NFU and Farm Africa as they continue to tackle farming issues across both continents. The reception focused on the importance of sustainable agriculture and highlighted the need to support smallholder farmers worldwide in tackling the climate crisis.
Smallholder farmers make up the majority of the world’s poorest people. And they produce the majority of food in developing countries. Yet it is they who are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, with very little support to adapt to extreme weather events. The percentage of global climate finance reaching smallholder farmers is falling and is now just 0.8%.
It is the goal of the UK government’s international development strategy to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. To do this it is recognised that all countries must achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, and the UK has made a commitment to leave no one behind. At the event, Farm Africa called for support for the agricultural sector to be focused on, increasing climate finance for smallholder farmers, prioritising support for female smallholder farmers and helping smallholder farmers engage with markets.
Commenting on the event, Saqib said:
“I was so pleased to be able to sponsor this event for the NFU and Farm Africa. It is so important that we support not only our farming community but the worldwide farming community as we transition to more sustainable practices. It is organisations like the NFU and Farm Africa that make a real positive impact on the lives of farmers and I am proud to support them in doing so.”
Minette Batters, President of the NFU and a Farm Africa ambassador, commented:
“Farmers all over the world are being hit by challenge after challenge as the climate crisis accelerates, threatening food security. I am proud to be an ambassador of Farm Africa, an organisation that is helping smallholder farmers across eastern Africa to implement climate-smart agricultural practices that mean they can grow and sell more, while protecting the environment for generations to come.”
Dr Diana Onyango, Head of Technical Team at Farm Africa, added:
“Across eastern Africa, smallholder farmers, the people most likely to be living in extreme poverty, are being left on their own to adapt to a climate crisis they did not create. The SDGs are significantly off-track. Poverty is rising not falling. One billion people live with severe food insecurity. Getting the SDGs back on track means supporting smallholder farmers, especially female farmers who are most affected by the climate crisis.”
