Small farms will play a key role in future global food security
The study, ‘Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use’, found that a global mix of large and small farm enterprises is needed to meet the forecast food task, which is estimated to require production to rise 70 per cent by the 2050s.
The study said small farms will be essential to provide food and nutrients in low-income and middle-income countries, while surpluses from larger farms can deliver trade balances to deal with scarcity hotspots.
The study estimated that globally, small and medium farms (less than 50ha) produce between 51 per cent and 77pc of commodities. Large farms (larger than 50 ha) dominate production in North America, South America, and Australia and New Zealand.
In these regions, large farms contribute between 75pc and 100pc of cereal, livestock, and fruit production, and the pattern is similar for other commodity groups. By contrast, small farms (less than 20ha) produce more than 75pc of most food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, south Asia, and China.
source: goodfruitandvegetables.com.au
