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the idea at the back of their minds to Third, agricultural markets in level owing to the new phenomenon
get rid of some of their over-capacity the poorest countries need to be of the global "land grab".
products!) However, the fact is that better regulated. If we want that
in this way agricultural development small peasants can survive and face Finally, another major challenge
and development itself were entirely international competition they must of our time is climate change.
neglected. When the 2008 food crisis be protected and enabled to sell Agriculture is one of the causes of
arrived, it became evident how un- their goods on the local, regional and climate change. But agriculture
founded and illogical this approach national markets.
is, at the same time, also a victim
has been.
of CO2 emissions, and the degra-
Fourth, marketing boards could be dation of other eco-systems like
In most poorest, especially African,
set up with the aim of buying agri-
biodiversity, desertification, water
countries the means of production cultural products from the producers pollution, water depletion, etc.
of their small producers and local in- at a fair price and selling them to
For all these reasons, we need a new
dustry are extremely modest. It's the their consumers at affordable prices. global approach to agriculture, a new
small producers who work on small These structures should be managed way to produce and to consume.
plots of land - - mostlyless than two in a transparent and effective man-
hectares, often without equipment, ner and free from corruption. A less intensive approach is increasingly
without tractors - - and they are
advocated, moving progressively
unable to face international compe- I also recommend the development towards organic agriculture.
tition. Many are condemned to ruin of storage capacities at the local, Agro-ecology offers a promising
and to abandon their production be- national and regional level. These approach to address these environ-
cause of increasing subsidized food countries are not immune to the risk mental problems in an effective way.
imports at very low prices. of crop failure or climate change, so
this could be a way to shield them Q: Your book has been wel-
Q: What do you see as the from such vulnerabilities. comed by the general
solution? public
and by your African friends in
Then you have the problem of particular?
First, developing countries have to landless peasants, also neglected
give a new priority to the develop-
for too long. There are several hun-
The book was first published in Ger-
ment of agriculture - staple food dreds of millions of them, and they man, and I was surprised
agriculture-, in their development earn their living by worl<ing for other ception from the German by the re-
media.
strategies. Governments have to owners, often in extremely mise- Last summer it came out in French
work out the required policies in rable conditions. Many of them are published by L'Harmattan, and I
participation with all concerned par- living in South Asian countries like think the reception was very warm
ties including peasants associations. India. I think that we cannot help too. I have been asked several times
More investment has to be provi- these people out of extreme poverLy to speak at conferences in Luxem-
ded to develop rural infrastructures without an agricultural reform and bourg, Belgium and France, and
and research, to facilitate access granting them access to land. this will continue.
to inputs, credit and laiowledge. I have been in-
vited four times by the European
This problem is worsened because Parliament. I was quite pleased to
Second, donor governments have every year thousands of peasant see this broad interest in the subject,
to encourage and support such a farmers are the victims of expro- and that it's developing at different
reorientation of development and set priation of land, forced evictions levels. We are now working on an
aside a great deal more funds for the
and displacements-a situation English version of the book which
development of agriculture. that is reaching an unprecedented should come out very soon.

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