According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), almost 800 million people are undernourished. The 2016 Global Hunger Index report stated that “levels of hunger are serious or alarming in 50 countries”, and most so in South Asia and in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Today, in a world that produces the most food per capita in recent human history, this is paradoxical, and absolutely unnecessary.
It is not enough to wish or question, “What if we could fight this?” We need to work to solve this crisis – entirely man-made – within our generation’s life.
Small scale farmers continue to produce over 70% of the world’s food, and their viability and sustainability must be improved. While a majority of producers are small, the best resources are geared towards large farmers and processors. We need to improve the access to fresh food, bring food closer to the point at which it is consumed, and help get more people into farming so that there is no over-dependence on a few centralized supply chains.
On the plus-side, increasing numbers of urban consumers are looking to become micro-farmers, which could be a huge driver to improving nutrition, reducing waste, increasing the diversity of food and, in every way, improving food security.
We welcome you to BillionFarmers as an information hub for people who are already farmers or people who want to start farming, providers or know-how and technology, suppliers and consumers, and work towards safe and plentiful food for everyone.