Food for Thought Learn about… Farmers Primary

Become an active Global Citizen! Learn Think Act

Our learning objectives: To identify the challenges faced by small scale farmers; To suggest ways in which these challenges can be overcome; To explore the benefits of small scale farming.   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supreme_pizza.jpg Use this as a starting point to help pupils identify where food can come from. Supermarkets, gardens, farms, factories, different countries, oceans and seas, restaurants, the school canteen, shops are all places pupils might associate with where food can be sourced.

Meet Leyla Kayere Hello. My name is Leyla Kayere and I am a farmer in Mnembo, Bvumbwe. This is in Malawi. Use this slide to introduce Leyla, where she lives and what her role within her local community is. Ask questions to help pupils to develop a picture of Leyla’s life. Leyla is 76 and was born in Mnembo and has lived here all of her life. Leyla has always been a farmer, growing just enough food for her family (millet and cassava). http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malawi_in_Africa_(-mini_map_-rivers).svg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malawi-map-blank.png Oxfam: Abbie Trayler-Smith

Malawi Malawi is about the same size of the UK. It has 13 rivers and 3 lakes. It is a country of small-scale producers farming tiny plots of land. The average size of each farm is less than 1 hectare (the size of a football pitch) Traditionally, they grow maize and other crops using rainwater. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_malawi_mozambico_coast.jpg?uselang=en-gb Malawi is a small country (about the size of the UK). Land is over-farmed and becoming increasingly infertile. Harvests are becoming smaller and smaller. Despite having lots of rivers and lakes, Malawi suffers from increasing numbers of dry spells as a result of climate change. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornfield2.jpg

What does Leyla do? Now I grow tomatoes which I sell at market. I also grow wheat and rice. I didn’t used to though. Find out how things have improved… Oxfam: Abbie Trayler-Smith As a result of work with Oxfam, Leyla’s community has been supported to improve agricultural productivity. Use this slide to allow pupils to relate to the type of crops grown. Do you recognise these vegetables? Which do you enjoy? Maybe you like eating chips with tomato ketchup? .http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/d/d3/Wheatberries.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Small_tomatos.jpg?uselang=en-gb http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brun_ris.jpg

What has changed? a) Farmers cards Or b) Snakes and Ladders

What has changed? a) Farmers cards

TASK Can you order the picture cards to show the sequence of changes to farmers in Leyla’s community? How does the farmer overcome these challenges? What are the challenges What was the result

Challenges Small farmers face multiple challenges they need to try and overcome Lack of fertiliser, so poor plant growth Unpredictable rainfall and drought, so crops die Lack of money to invest, so fewer crops planted Best land owned by large farms, so lots of very small farms

Solutions With a bit of help, there are ways they can overcome them… Loans and cheaper fertiliser from the government Community builds irrigation channels Training and seed packs given to farmers Community puts their land together to increase size

Benefits of this support This small amount of support can give release the potential small scale farmers have Benefits of this support You should see the range of benefits for individuals, families and the community

What has changed? b) Snakes and Ladders

TASK Play your game of snakes and ladders! Whilst you are playing (or after) you need to make a list of… Challenges farmers face… ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Improvements farmers make… ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Who can help farmers… ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Malawi… Read about what has happened in Malawi. How does it relate to your snakes and ladders? © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam

What is the impact? For both farmers cards and snakes and ladders

The personal impact © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam I remember the first time I sold all my tomatoes…I look back to that time as being my proudest moment. I made about £37. I used that money for the walls of my house. Using the picture cards OR the snakes and ladders and Malawi information, ask pupils to identify the ways in which improved agriculture production can improve lives in the local community. Improved farming has visibly changed life in Leyla’s village. New brick houses, with iron roofs, have replaced old thatched mud-houses. Paths are busy with bicycles, often loaded with coils of iron for new roofs or baskets full of vegetables enroot to market. The new irrigation systems have improved some 400 families. What other improvements have come from the money made from selling tomatoes?

The wider impact Working together As a result of more support (including the government giving cheaper fertiliser for farmers), Malawi’s maize production continues to increase. Communities now work together to increase productivity. © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam From http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=4187 Highlight to pupils the significance of increased food production in Malawi as a result of support and access to resources. Source: http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=4187

The importance of small farmers What skills do small farmers like Leyla have? What qualities do small farmers like Leyla have? Using the picture cards, ask pupils to identify the ways in which improved agriculture production can improve lives in the local community. Improved farming has visibly changed life in Leyla’s village. New brick houses, with iron roofs, have replaced old thatched mud-houses. Paths are busy with bicycles, often loaded with coils of iron for new roofs or baskets full of vegetables enroot to market. The new irrigation systems have improved some 400 families. © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam Do you think small scale farmers like Leyla are important for food production in the world?

Role play

Role play… Can you retell these events as a role-play presentation? (you decide how) Try and plan it from the point of view of the farmer drama story Task 1: Give each group of pupils a set of picture cards to sequence. Ask each group to present their scenario as a role-play, photo presentation or a digital cartoon. cartoon photo presentation

Why small-scale agriculture? 500 million small farms in developing countries supports almost 2 billion people (nearly 1/3 of humanity) Small scale farming can help the environment by producing food locally without any machinery or chemicals; the community by providing jobs for locals and improves the economy Improving small scale farms can lead to better housing, education, and other local businesses that can thrive They just need some support!

What have we learned…? Challenges Solutions Climate change Unpredictable weather A lack of training Limited land Poor soil Poor seeds Lack of savings Solutions Access to training Access to better seeds Access to fertilisers Working together as a community Building channels to access water all year Pooling farms together to farm a bigger space Better farming techniques Farming different crops Use this slide to consolidate main learning objectives. You could use this to help you create your snakes and ladders board game, or your role play…

Make a change… If you have one, complete a section of your wallchart!

Class for change And when you have learnt about the food system, thought about how it could change and planned and done something yourself, share what you have learnt at www.classforchange.org A space for active global citizens!

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