IN PHOTOS: Farmers around the world share their stories

By Justin Cremer

April 2, 2020

All around the world, smallholder farmers toil in their fields to feed their families and their communities. Though these farmers differ in where they live, the crops they grow and the soil conditions they must contend with, their share similar challenges.

In many countries, smallholders farm at subsistence levels and their incomes are limited. They often lack money to buy pesticides, fertilizer or employ advanced technologies that would make their back-breaking work easier. Many have found that planting insect-resistant genetically modified (GM) crops can drastically reduce their use of pesticides, saving them precious resources while also improving their health and that of their local environments.

But others aren’t as lucky. Many farmers still contend with bans on GM seeds and misinformation campaigns that lead them to question the safety of GM crops. In some cases, farmers don’t even know that improved seeds are an option.

In the five-plus years since we started the Alliance for Science, we’ve amplified the voices of farmers from all parts of the world. Their stories have inspired us and helped to put a human face on the challenges and rewards of farming. Here we present a small sampling of the farmers we’ve met. Follow the link below each photo to read the farmers’ full stories.

 


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