Small and medium sized farms are key to providing quality nutrition to the global population, according to a new study measuring the contribution of agriculture, livestock and fisheries to global nutrient production, diversity and food security.
The new research, published in the first issue of The Lancet Planetary Health, was carried out by a trans-disciplinary team of more than 400 scientists from 19 different institutions, including geographers, livestock, agricultural and marine scientists, economists, public health and nutrition specialists, epidemiologists, and environmental scientists.
They found that farms smaller than 50 hectares produce nearly 51-77% of all commodities and nutrients, including cereals, livestock, fruits, pulses, roots and tubers and vegetables.
Read more: Small farms need protection to safeguard nutrients and diversity by Kate Langford in ECOS eNews
And more:
- Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis by Mario Herrero et. al.
- Small Farms: Stewards of Global Nutrition? Diverse Farms, Diverse Foods: Farm Size and Nutrient Diversity by University of Minnesota Environment Reports
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