Knowledge transfer is fundamental for resilient agriculture

Knowledge transfer is fundamental for resilient agriculture

Rosalie Ellasus*

I saw the magical transformation on their faces, as the timid smallholders gained energy and discovered that they might be roaring lions.

After only a few days of training, they were ready to return to their farms with the energy to try new farming approaches as well as to use their voices for the benefit of all involved in agriculture.

This is the power of knowledge transfer and mentorship, as we strive to create a new generation of skilled and resilient food producers.

I’ve been an agricultural biotech advocate for two decades, telling the story of my unlikely decision to become a farmer following a career in other fields – and especially the story of how GMOs gave me the tools I needed to succeed as a single mother growing corn and other crops in the Philippines.

The ability of GMOs to control pests, diseases and weeds has allowed me to buy a house and send my children to school. It made a huge difference in our lives, and I’m forever grateful to have had access to the technologies that made my resilience possible.

My particular mission is to share this experience with other farmers and encourage them in their efforts to produce the food the world needs. Along the way, I became a founding member of the Global Farmers Network (Global Farmer Network) and I was the first winner, in 2007, of the Kleckner Prize for GFN for global agricultural leadership.

I am a ” agvocate – in other words, an advocate for agriculture.

This is what brought me to Indonesia last month, for a mentoring meeting with Asian farmers, supported by the GFN and its partners. These smallholders came to Jakarta from neighboring countries, and they were exactly what I have seen so many times and in so many places before: hard-working men and women, but timid and often lacking in information and ideas to support their efforts for profitability and productivity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and mutual inspiration.

They certainly don’t spend a lot of time in the kind of workshops I contribute to and often speak at. Perhaps the root of the problem is that too many farmers do not view themselves or their profession with dignity, feeling less fortunate and not proud to be farmers.

When young people see these doubts, they don’t want to know anything regarding agriculture. For them, agriculture is difficult, dirty and badly remunerated. These stereotypes keep them away from careers in what is a beautiful and rewarding profession.

Everyone must see agriculture for what it is in the 21st^e century: a sector full of innovation and technology, involving the massive amounts of science that goes into the composition of the best seeds, crop protection products that fight pests, weeds and diseases, and equipment guided with precision that conserves resources and allows crops to thrive.

At a time when the world’s population has surpassed 8 billion and we all face the challenges of climate change, we need smart, innovative farmers who produce more food on less land than ever before. .

We need not only exceptional farmers, but also farmers who can become “ agvocats ».

Farmers face many traditional problems, such as the weather being too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. One of the biggest challenges they face, however, is new: we have to deal with legislators, bureaucrats and consumers who are vulnerable to scientific misinformation because they lack a basic understanding of science. where food comes from and how farmers produce it.

The only way to overcome these fears and ignorance is to implement a public education program led by farmers who can tell the truth regarding what they do and what they need. It starts with farmers who approach their work with pride and joy – and it leads to the creation of a body of agvocats that can secure our future.

When the ” agvocats do their job, the truth prevails and farmers benefit from new opportunities. In my own country, we have recently witnessed the commercialization of Golden Rice and its enormous potential to improve human health in the developing world. More recently, the government approved GM eggplant, a move I have encouraged for years.

My goal as a farmer and mentor is to make my enthusiasm contagious, so that resilience in agriculture can grow and spread.

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* Rosalie Ellasus

Rosalie Ellasus is a first generation farmer growing maize and rice in San Jacinto, Philippines. Rosalie allows her farm to be used as a demonstration pilot for smallholder farmers to visit and learn from. She is currently president of the Philippine Corn Federation and member of the Global Farmers Network, Truth About Trade & Technology.

Source : Knowledge Transfer is Foundational to Resilient Agriculture – Global Farmer Network