We are in the midst of the single biggest attack in the world today on people’s identity, rights, livelihoods and security, as well as our environment. They cannot afford to lose this fight, nor can we.

The EU’s response to COVID-19 in the recovery package, and the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, are opportunities to help fix the broken global food system.

Small-scale producers grow most of the rice in Asia, playing a significant role in providing food security, jobs and income across the region. However, a combination of worsening inequality in food value chains and the crippling impacts of climate change is leaving rice farming systems at a critical juncture. These challenges threaten the future viability of rice production that underpins the livelihoods and primary food source for millions of people.

For Calinie and Theophile, like many small-hold farmers in rural Burundi, crop failures were once a fact of life due to limited agricultural knowledge, the extreme paucity of arable land and high levels of soil erosion. Thanks to an innovative farming approach supported by Oxfam, they increased in yields and incomes to ensure a better quality of life for their children, now aged six to 22 years.

The Mitr Pohl group is the largest Thai manufacturer and exporter of sugar. They made a huge promotion to local sugar cane farmers with strong figures but in reality many farmers ended up with huge debts, some are now being offered training and support by the Lao Federation of Trade Unions.