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'Key role for small growers in the world food chain'
Small farmers in developing countries and emerging markets are playing a key role in the world food provisions in 2050. That is the vision of Piet Moerland who spoke on the 1st of November on behalf of the Rabobank at the 'Working together on international food stability' congress in the Ridderzaal located in The Hague. The congress, which is focused on Dutch business whose theme is sustainability in global food chains, is a joint initiative of the ministry of foreign affairs and the Rabobank.
The world will reach 9.3 billion people by the year 2050. In order to feed and supply bio-energy for all of these inhabitants, food production will need to double in the coming decades, while the carrying capacity of the earth is declining. During his presentation, Moerland indicated that the key is in the hands of small farmers. "The large, untapped potential is in the developing countries and the emerging markets," according to Moerland. "Due to the fact that small farmers often don't have access to financial services, knowledge, land, water and fertiliser; we miss the food they would have been able to produce."
According to Moerland, developing the agricultural sector in emerging and developing countries and access to financial services, are necessary for fighting poverty in the world. Agricultural corporations are a way for local farmers to become full fledged trading partners in the international food market.
Moerland is calling international players in the trading markets to contribute and join hands in order to join the base with the top of the food pyramid. Moerland states that the Rabobank's Food and Agri-Bank will contribute its broad knowledge and practical experience in the coming decades and will shed light in the area of global food safety and security with agricultural corporations as well as provide rural financial services in emerging and developing countries. This will be made possible, for example, with Rabo Development and the Rabo Foundation.
The vision of the Rabobank regarding the world food problem, amongst others, is highlighted in a recently published study: