Project Description

University of British Columbia (UBC) Farmers are often absent from discussions about how policies and programs impact sustainable agricultural production. At the IAF, we are investing in a regional effort that will amplify the voices of farmers and directly support their collection, analysis, and compilation of data that will improve the management and efficiency of their farms. The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global leader in research on food systems and sustainable agricultural development. UBC is providing resource-poor farmers and their networks access to LiteFarm, a free and open-source web-based application, to use evidence to manage their farms sustainably. This will strengthen farmers’ ability to advocate for better practices and policies and engage with other funding partners. It will also demonstrate how community-led actions lead to more environmentally, socially, and economically-sustainable outcomes, such as food security, clean water, greater biodiversity, and resilience to natural disasters. The results of this regional project will inform agricultural support organizations (government extension experts, farmer groups) and policy-makers with context-specific data about how to encourage the transition to sustainable agricultural practices to improve food security, enhance farmer livelihoods, and minimize environmental degradation.

This is part of the IAF’s strategic initiative for sustainable agriculture.

Talk about community-led development!