Smallholders Unite

A glaring gap in Collier's piece is his failure to consult the farmers for whom he proposes his solutions. More neocolonial, large-scale commercial structures imposed by Western countries are often the last solutions poor rural farmers would choose. We advocate community-based agricultural programs that support food security and viable livelihoods for the poorest. A rights-based approach to food security acknowledges that the social-justice considerations of providing employment and food for the most impoverished do not allow any outside intervention that would further consolidate resources among the wealthiest.

JOAN VANWASSENHOVE
DONNA BARRY
Partners In Health