Yes, I endorse Farming Firsts call to help the worlds farmers in addressing global food security. Global policymakers should reverse the generation of neglect which agricultural development has suffered in worldwide development assistance.

By 2030, nearly 1 in 4 people on the planet or 1.8 billion people will not have access to enough water to meet their basic daily needs. By 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion people and food production will likely have to double to meet the increased demand.

Farming First places smallholder farmers at the heart of global and local policy-making and funding decisions. It is supported by representatives of the worlds farmers, scientists, and business and industry.

Farming First emphasises the need for locally sustainable value-chains within global agriculture so that subsistence farmers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia, can become small-scale entrepreneurs.

The Farming First action plan consists of six pillars, which call on agricultural policymakers and practitioners to:

1. SAFEGUARD NATURAL RESOURCES: by improving land management through adoption of sustainable practices.

2. SHARE KNOWLEDGE: by ensuring that existing knowledge and expertise reaches the communities that need it most.

3. BUILD LOCAL ACCESS AND CAPACITY: by making fundamental resources available to improve production processes.

4. PROTECT HARVESTS: by countering food loss and food wastage in the storage, distribution and consumption of food.

5. ENABLE ACCESS TO MARKETS: by helping farmers transport crops to markets and receive fair prices for their harvests.

6. PRIORITISE RESEARCH IMPERATIVES: by focusing research efforts on locally relevant crop types and sustainable stewardship techniques.