Timothy Wise of the Small Planet Institute and author of Feeding Illusions: Agribusiness, Family Farmers, and the Future of Food discusses challenges to small-scale agriculture in developing countries (accompanying talk accessible here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHxr4zqorAg).

1. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University

2. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Feeding Illusions:
Agribusiness, Family Farmers
and the Future of Food
Timothy A. Wise
Senior Researcher, Small Planet Institute
Research Fellow, GDAE, Tufts University
January 2017

3. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
LDCs’ Soaring Food Import Bills
LDC Import Value
LDC Export Value
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011
BillionsofcurrentUS$
Source: FAOStat (2013)
Agricultural Trade Balance,Least Developed Countries
1961-2011
LDCs 2001 2005 2011
Exports $3.6 b $ 5.8 b $13.2 b
Imports $8.2 b $15.0 b $35.5 b
Agric trade deficit $4.6 b $9.2 b $22.3 b

4. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Feeding Illusions
Introduction: Feeding Illusions after the Food Crisis
Section 1: Africa: Land, Seeds, and Hunger
The Malawi Miracle: The Limits of the Green Revolution
Tanzania Land Grabbing: Biofueling Dispossession
Mozambique’s ProSAVANA: Failure to Launch
Zambia: Land-poor Farmers in a Land-Rich Country
Section 2: Agribusiness vs. Family Farmers
Iowa Feeds the World? Food, Fuel & Finance in the Heartland
Mexico: GM Corn in the Crop’s Garden of Eden
The False GM Food Debate: Are We Depolarized Yet?
India vs. US at WTO: Trading in Hypocrisy on Food Security
Conclusion: The Arrogance of the Species

5. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Malawi: The Limits of the Green Revolution

6. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
Production

7. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
N fertilizer
Production

8. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
N fertilizer
Production
Yield

9. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
“Improved Seeds”- Savior or Dependency Trap?

10. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
“Improved Seeds”- Savior or Dependency Trap?
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
No Fertilizer Fertilized Once Fertilized Twice
Tonnes/ha
Source: Malawi Agricultural Census 2006/7
Malawi Maize Variety Yields by Fertilizer Intensity
2006/2007 Agricultural Season
Local
Composite
Hybrid
Loss of Malawian-developed hybrid varieties.

11. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
N fertilizer
Production
Yield

12. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
Return to
fertilizer
N fertilizer
Production
Yield

13. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
50
100
150
200
250
300
2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Returnstofertilizeruse
(kgproduction/kgnutrients)
Index–production,yield,Nfertilizer(2002=100)
Source: Calculated from FAOSTAT, Index Mundi.
Malawi’s Faltering Miracle
Maize production, yield, fertilizer consumption 2002-2016
Return to
fertilizer
N fertilizer
Production
Yield

14. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University

15. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
First Step: Maize Intercropped with Legumes

16. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Lobi, Malawi: Recovering Native Maize

17. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Farmer Evelyn Njolomole explains virtues of native orange maize to
Malawi President Peter Mutharika (June 2016, Lilongwe)

18. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Marracuene, Mozambique: Women-led Coop

19. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Marracuene: Cooperative Seed Bank

20. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University

21. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
International Panel of
Experts on Sustainable
Food Systems
“From Uniformity to Diversity:
A paradigm shift from
industrial agriculture to
diversified agroecological
systems”
Olivier De Schutter initiative
http://www.ipes-food.org/reports

22. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Feeding Illusions
Introduction: Feeding Illusions after the Food Crisis
Section 1: Africa: Land, Seeds, and Hunger
The Malawi Miracle: The Limits of the Green Revolution
Tanzania Land Grabbing: Biofueling Dispossession
Mozambique’s ProSAVANA: Failure to Launch
Zambia: Land-poor Farmers in a Land-Rich Country
Section 2: Agribusiness vs. Family Farmers
Iowa Feeds the World? Food, Fuel & Finance in the Heartland
Mexico: GM Corn in the Crop’s Garden of Eden
The False GM Food Debate: Are We Depolarized Yet?
India vs. US at WTO: Trading in Hypocrisy on Food Security
Conclusion: The Arrogance of the Species

23. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University

24. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Policy Report
by
Timothy A. Wise
Sophia Murphy
January 2012
Structural change in agriculture:
• Food, fuel, and finance
• Resource constraints
• Climate crisis
Can we put the genie back in the
bottle?
Available at:
http://www.ase.tufts.edu/gdae/policy_research/resolving_food_crisis.html

25. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Rising to the Challenge:
Changing Course to Feed the World in 2050
ActionAid USA Report
Based on scoping paper by
Timothy A. Wise
Policy Research Director
Global Development and
Environment Institute
Tufts University

26. © Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University
Achieving Mexico’s
Maize Potential
Oct. 2012
Published by:
Woodrow Wilson Center
Spanish
Global Development and
Environment Institute,
Tufts University
English
Download: http://www.gdae.org