Thank you to Kimberly Flowers, Director of the Food Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, for asking me to moderate their first public event in their speaker series on agricultural development developed jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Liaison Office for North America.
Smallholder farmers produce roughly 80 percent of the food consumed in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, but they are frequently not consulted when policymakers develop regulations or enter into trade agreements that affect their livelihoods. More than ever, smallholder farmers have a stake in international quality and safety standards as they seek to participate in global value chains, supplying both emerging and mature markets.
This panel discussed the growing role of smallholder farmers in global agricultural trade, barriers they face accessing local, regional, and global markets, and pathways for enabling meaningful participation in evolving trade rules.
The panel included:
