As global leaders prepare for COP29 conference, smallholder farmers from Eastern and Southern Africa are demanding to have their voices heard and their needs addressed during the conference.

Speaking over the weekend during a meeting organized by Media for Environment, Science, Health, and Agriculture (MESHA) and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Baliraine Hakim, Chairperson of Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers Forum (ESAFF) said that decisions made without them risk being ineffective as smallholder farmers are the ones expected to implement them.

“Smallholder farmers are on the front lines of the climate crisis, yet our input is often excluded from key discussions. We need to be part of the solution. Policies must be developed not just for us, but with us,” he said.

Adaptation

According to him, smallholder farmers are key to climate adaptation. They are at the forefront of the shift to more diverse, nature friendly food systems which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says is needed to safeguard food security in a changing climate.

Many are already practicing climate-resilient agriculture, including approaches such as agroecology: growing a wider variety of crops including traditional crops, mixing crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries, reducing chemical inputs, and building strong connections to local markets.