COVID-19 is changing everything, it is possible that you already heard about it. Also, how we interact with people, media, and planet are coming up to surface. In global panic, one of core questions is how to build back better? Economic stress and poverty are two major consequences of virus outspread. As per conservation estimation, around 100-135 million people would move into poverty around globe. Plus, there is potential doubling of food insecurity. As far as agriculture is concerned, how things are going to turn is one question is
that is both scary and impactful. Somewhere around 65% of poor working adults depend on agriculture. This sector also accounts for 70% of freshwater withdrawal. Again, how we can build it back even better? In developing countries, farmers and informal workers are facing income shocks. Now recovery would mean ensuring protection of local food access and food security. In long-term, recovery could mean investing “climate-smart solutions”, increasing resilience in health care structure and food systems. This great panic also brought out critical weakness in general system of agriculture. This includes decades of deforestation, soil degradation, and climate change, and loss of biodiversity.
Quite Irrigation Revolution
Here is good news, farmers are accelerating and scaling up irrigation development. This is significantly impacting process of securing livelihood, plus supporting early recovery. At this time, early recovery seems most essential. Also, they were able to safeguard domestic food security, strengthen overall abilities to recover from income shock. These small-steps performed without any public scheme or centralized bureaucracies, etc. Filling up gaps in operation, both small and medium-scale farmers coordinated and developed irrigation solutions. Against all odds, minimal acknowledgment, and almost no formal support; farmer-led irrigation developed is now quickly-growing. In Asia, Africa, Latin America, United States, and Europe this pathway is helping millions of farmers. An ongoing recovery from COVID-19 is running parallel quicker turnaround and contributing to economic returns. Simply removing barriers to financing, enabling access to technology and market and knowledge transfer is contributing to FLID. These powerful ways of building capacities can provide on-demand irrigation water to rural livelihoods.
FLID And Recovery From Great Panic
Pandemic or great panic triggered job loss. Many urban dwellers return to rural areas. Today farming offers opportunities to increase food security plus household income. There is global coordination to eliminate panic impact. Additionally, FLID is growing and expanding its footprint by building momentum. Another aim of FLID is to
promote knowledge exchange, encourage technological innovation, and facilitating funding. This can help in generating rural jobs. Presently, farmers hold high potentials and aiding increase in income for themselves and others. With irrigation production, there is stable and increase in locally grown food. As a result, there is improvement in nutrition in farm families as well as in communities in Covid-19 situation.
Short-Term Benefits
FLID is strengthening self-reliance. It is building connections and improving sustainability of local food system. There are promotion and job-creating, increased prosperity, etc. With irrigated agriculture, there is twice as productivity. Other short- term benefits include contribution to economic growth, reducing poverty, and also lower food-insecurity.
Wrapping Up
So, with mission to build back better; FLID farmer is showing world that worst times are also right times to build best. Building innovative solutions, exploring edges of development FLID is now on its way to make a resilient future.
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