Small-scale farmers, who manage nearly 90% of the world’s 570 million farms, are essential to global food supply chains. Solidaridad’s Small Farmer Atlas, based on interviews with 10,000 farmers across 18 countries, offers a detailed look at their challenges and perspectives. These farmers produce vital commodities like coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas, cotton, oil palm, soy, and sugarcane. Despite their crucial role, many face significant hurdles influenced by regional and commodity-specific factors.

The Atlas reveals that while over half of the interviewed farmers feel they can meet basic needs, the majority struggle with economic instability due to price volatility and climate change impacts. Edwin Nunjar Peña, a banana farmer from Peru, shared, “The climate is changing; it’s more challenging to farm now.” About 60% of farmers expressed concerns over soil quality and water scarcity, emphasizing the threat climate change poses to their livelihoods.

Women farmers, in particular, encounter greater barriers in achieving fair income and market access. The study highlights that women are disproportionately affected, often facing additional challenges that hinder their economic progress.

The Atlas calls for interventions that include equitable profit-sharing across value chains and policies centered on farmers’ needs and perspectives. Solidaridad emphasizes that understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by small-scale farmers is crucial to promoting a fair and resilient agricultural sector globally. The report advocates for a more inclusive approach, ensuring that small farmers’ voices are heard in market decisions that directly impact their lives.

The Small Farmer Atlas underscores the need for a paradigm shift in how we view and support small-scale farmers. By prioritizing sustainability and equity, we can build a more resilient and just food system that benefits not only farmers but also the global community.