Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Smallholder Farmers,
Fertilizers, and Increased
Food Demand
Deborah Hellums and Amit Roy
CONTENTS
3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 39
3.2 Population Growth and Food Production ....................................................... 43
3.2.1 Demographic Changes ........................................................................ 43
3.2.2 Food Production and the Essential Role of Plant Nutrients ...............44
3.2.3 Food Production and Natural Resources ............................................ 46
3.3 Dominant Role of Smallholder Farmers in the “Pressure Point” Areas ........ 47
3.3.1 Characteristics of Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa ........ 48
3.3.2 Characteristics of Smallholder Farmers in South and East Asia ........ 50
3.4 Improved Nutrient Management Practices—IFDC Experiences with
Smallholders in Sub- Saharan Africa and South and East Asia ...................... 51
3.4.1 Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Sub-Saharan Africa ........... 51
3.4.2 Fertilizer Deep Placement for Lowland Rice in South Asia .............. 53
3.5 Enabling Environment—Role of Markets and Policy in Supporting
Smallholder Farmers' Access to Nutrients ..................................................... 57
3.5.1 CASE Approach for Market Development ......................................... 57
3.5.2 Policy .................................................................................................. 58
3.6 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 60
References ................................................................................................................ 60
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Since the widespread food deficits in Asia and the initial implementation of agri-
cultural development concepts in the 1960s, the world's population has virtually
doubled to 7 billion. Fortunately, timely agriculture interventions based on the adop-
tion of modern inputs (i.e., fertilizers, improved seeds, crop protection products),
coupled with rapid expansion of irrigated areas, led to a doubling of world cereal
production, enabling billions of additional people to be fed. This scientifically based
“Green Revolution,” with its significant impacts on cereal crop production, negated
the predictions of recurring and widespread famines and provided the foundation for
food se cu r it y.
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