The so-called landscapes approach, the unifying theme of the 2015 Global Landscapes Forum in Paris, appears to encompass every conceivable environmental and agricultural activity. The approach attempts to bring together, “multiple land uses in an integrated manner, considering both the natural environment and the human systems that depend on it.”
Central to the approach is the need for synergies and alliances between all the relevant stakeholders to tackle the many different challenges that the agricultural sector faces—not least that of sustainability.
With the projected need to increase food production 70% to feed 9.1 billion people by 2050, the people to whom it falls to feed the world—many of whom are small-scale landholders—need to be able to build sustainable livelihoods.
An important first step in this is to foster understanding and collaboration between the private and public sectors. Some believe that the two sectors are diametrically opposed to each other. However, once the jargon has been decoded and the myths have been debunked, there are many similarities.
Tony Simons, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, pointed out during the discussion on Shaping Sustainable Supply Chains of the Future, the private sector cannot be ignored if a transfer from the subsistence to sustainable farming models is going to be achieved.
Many of the world’s largest food companies are now recognizing the need to improve the livelihoods of their farmers at the beginning of their supply chains. The challenges are manifold.
Mars, Incorporated has roughly one million smallholder farmers in its supply chains spread out across the world, often in hard-to-reach locations. The difficulty, however, lies not just in numbers, but in the complexity of a supply chain in which there are many intermediaries.
However, Mars and other companies are becoming aware that they can ill-afford to ignore the reality of what is arguably its most important asset: the providers of the raw material. As Mars’ Barry Parkin highlighted, there is not only a “moral imperative but also a business imperative” for the private sector to tackle these challenges. Pascal de Petrini from Danone echoed this sentiment: “The resilience of the farmers will build the resilience of Danone.”
All this is not to say that the private companies are solely responsible. Governments must also assume some responsibility for creating sustainable supply chains by providing the necessary infrastructure: crops cannot grow without water and goods cannot get to market without roads. Furthermore, governments should look at how they can work with the private sector to reimagine extension services as collaboration between public service and private endeavors.
There is no silver bullet or easy solution to the many complex challenges that creating a sustainable supply chain poses, but promoting trust and understanding between governments and private companies through an integrated landscapes approach is definitely a step in the right direction.
