Crop production

A majority of the world’s poor are farmers, and the changing climate is already making it harder for them to produce the food they need. Droughts and floods harm crops, particularly in regions where farmers don’t have access to irrigation. Warming temperatures can also bring pests and diseases (human, animal, and plant) to regions where they previously didn’t exist. The rain patterns have changed, becoming less predictable and making it harder to grow their crops. There is no safety net if you are a subsistence farmer in a poor country. You grow what you eat, and maybe make a small amount of profit when the surplus is sold for cash. No crops means no food. There is no crop insurance or farm subsidies. The solutions to these problems are two-fold. First, we must address the climate crisis head on. Second, many hope to help farmers grow more food or adapt to the changing climate to improve their fates.

In order to address a host of problems faced by peasant farmers, there is a global peasant movement advocating for a set of solutions. Primarily, the biggest threat they encounter is on account of corporate friendly economic policies and organizations like the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Pakistan on its part must adopt policies aimed at safeguarding interest of its farmers.

Khan Faraz

Peshawar