The great farmer support shake-up
Great transformation seems to be brewing in the way that governments, the private sector and donor organisations support farmers. This is in response to some of the effects that this support has had on global food and farming systems. High-and middle-income countries are being accused of providing the type of support that distort markets, such as price incentives and fiscal subsidies. According to a report recently published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, which explored how the repurposing of agricultural support could help transform food systems, support to farmers in high-and middle-income countries often targeted “emission-intensive commodities”, such as beef, milk and rice. The report says that of the US$540 billion (about R7,8 trillion) in support given to farmers every year, about US$294 billion (R4,3 trillion) was provided in…
