How Asia’s small farmers can harness technology to combat climate change and improve food security

Looking at our mega cities and metropolises, it is easy to assume that the whole of Asia is on the up. Yet Asia’s continued progress and development still largely depends on its millions of smallholder farmers – the world’s largest – each working on land two hectares or smaller. They face a tall order, with food demand rising as the population tops four billion, even as climate change brings new challenges.

Vertical farming may help to meet demand in urban areas but smallholders, who produce more than a third of the world’s food supply, need smart innovations to improve productivity from the ground up.

In Vietnam, for example, rice farmers are at the mercy of pests such as brown planthopper, or diseases such as the rice ragged stunt virus and rice grassy stunt virus, which can wipe out entire harvests. As climate change affects the way these crop threats spread and emerge, rice farmers need more and better support to identify pests and disease, and take early action to limit their impact.

To do this, CropLife Asia and the German development agency GIZ worked with the Vietnamese government to teach 17,000 farmers along the Mekong Delta to use crop protection products and intervene when a pest threatens their crops.

The Better Rice Initiative Asia project was so successful in helping farmers to identify and address pests and diseases before they cause major losses that incomes increased by up to 18 per cent. The project is also under way in Thailand. In both countries, the use of an integrated pest management approach helps farmers to address pests and diseases while posing minimal risks to people and the environment.

For example, by knowing exactly when and how to use pesticides, farmers can avoid contamination and preserve biodiversity and ecosystems, while using less pesticides overall. This is part of a global industry effort to equip farmers with creative and cutting-edge ways to achieve more with fewer inputs, driven by innovation across the crop protection field.

Another way in which innovations help Asian farmers is through a renewed focus on protecting pollinators, on which 35 per cent of the world’s food crop depends, and without which, the livelihoods and food security of millions are threatened.

Initiatives include rental beehives for farmers to pollinate their own crops, or local versions of BeeConnected, a mobile phone application that connects beekeepers to farmers. These initiatives have successfully preserved bee populations, which pollinate many of the world’s staple crops.

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Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are another important innovation in helping to increase agricultural productivity and to meet food demand.

For instance, Golden Rice, which is enriched with beta-carotene and produces vitamin A when eaten, was launched as part of a humanitarian project to address vitamin A deficiency, particularly in children. Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin, immune systems and vision and to date, hundreds of varieties have been developed to suit local needs.

When at least two-thirds of our daily calorie intake come from rice, ensuring it has the right vitamins and minerals maximises its nutritional impact.

Finally, an Asiawide initiative called Stewardship by the plant science industry on the correct use of crop protection products is also under way to optimise pesticide use. By learning to use crop protection products sustainably, farmers can continue to play a pivotal role in tackling pests and diseases while ensuring food security.

Smallholder farmers have been the linchpin of food security since time immemorial. But if they are to step up to the challenges of feeding Asia’s growing population in increasingly challenging conditions, they will need new and more innovative tools. As the world’s hotbed of technological development, Asia can lead the way in equipping food producers to meet this enormous challenge.

Dr Siang Hee Tan is executive director of CropLife Asia