Notes to broadcasters on farmers abandoning land:
Date Posted: November 24th, 2008
The following Farm Radio International resources deal with the subject of farmers choosing alternatives to traditional food crops:
-“Market forces persuade some farmers to abandon traditional crops” (FRW #15, March 2008)
-“Fruit Changes Farmers’ Lives” (Package 81, Script 10, August 2007), discusses how even a few fruit trees can improve family income and nutrition.
-“Comparing Crop Varieties: Start Small, Go Slowly” (Package 68, Script 8, September 2003), provides an example of a farmer comparing the success of a new crop variety with a traditional variety.
You may wish to produce a call-in or text-in show which asks listeners to share their thoughts and experiences on the following subjects:
-Which crops in your area are the most important to food security? Do the farmers who produce these crops feel they get a good return on their investment?
-What non-traditional cash crops or niche crops have farmers in your area recently tried? Have they tried raising different kinds of livestock? What were their experiences in learning to produce and market the new crop or animal?
