Summary Landscape of Agrifood Smallholders in Malaysia Climate Standards Gender www.krinstitute.org
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Smallholder farmers face climate risks, but adopting sustainability standards can improve their financial and market outcomes, though women often have less access to resources, necessitating recommendations that address adaptation, standards, gender, and market access.
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Slide Presentation (10 slides)
Key Points
- Smallholder farmers in Malaysia face various challenges, including limited access to markets, technology, and financing, as well as rising input costs and labour shortages
- Gender disparities exist among agrifood smallholders, with women facing greater constraints in accessing productive resources, training, and decision-making power
- The adoption of sustainability standards like MyGAP can help address smallholders' challenges, but certification rates remain low, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak
- Smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak are the least competitive, attributed to high climate risk, wider gender gap, and lower adoption of good agricultural practices
- Targeted interventions are needed to improve smallholders' adaptive capacity to climate change, such as enhancing access to climate information, technology, and support networks
- Addressing knowledge gaps, bureaucratic barriers, and promoting collaborative certification models can help increase the reach and effectiveness of the MyGAP program
- Improving women's participation in agricultural innovation and decision-making is crucial for enhancing productivity and resilience in the agrifood sector
Summaries
25 word summary
Smallholders face climate risks. Sustainability standards correlate with better finances and market access. Women have lower resource access. Recommendations target adaptation, standards, gender, and markets.
50 word summary
Malaysia's agrifood smallholders face climate impacts, with crop growers at higher risk. Adoption of sustainability standards like MyGAP correlates with better financial literacy and market access. Women smallholders have lower access to resources. Recommendations focus on enhancing climate adaptation, expanding standards, addressing gender gaps, and improving market linkages and technology.
117 word summary
The study examines Malaysia's agrifood smallholders, focusing on climate impacts, sustainability standards, and gender dynamics. Key findings include a shift towards younger, more educated smallholders, with over 75% reporting rainfall changes affecting farm output. Crop growers faced higher climate risks, while Sabah and Sarawak smallholders had lower access to climate information. MyGAP certification, adopted by 12.3%, correlated with better financial literacy and market access. Women smallholders were more involved in crop farming but had lower access to resources. Recommendations include enhancing climate adaptation, expanding sustainability standards, addressing gender gaps, and improving market linkages and technology adoption. The report highlights the need for a multifaceted approach to support Malaysia's agrifood smallholders, ensuring climate resilience, sustainability, and gender equity.
436 word summary
The study examines the landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia, focusing on climate standards and gender dynamics. Key findings include:
Smallholder demographics: Contrary to perceptions, the survey found a shift towards a younger and more educated cohort of agrifood smallholders, excluding paddy farmers. However, educated smallholders were more inclined to pursue alternative employment, suggesting the need to offer non-farm income opportunities to promote a younger, agropreneur-centric sector.
Climate change impacts: Over 75% of respondents reported that changes in rainfall patterns affected their farm output. Crop growers were more concerned about rainfall changes compared to livestock and aquaculture farmers. Smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak faced higher climate risks and lower access to climate information, highlighting the need for targeted adaptation strategies.
Sustainability standards: The Malaysia Good Agricultural Practices (MyGAP) certification has been adopted by a small fraction (12.3%) of smallholders, mostly in the crop sector and concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia. Certified farmers exhibited better financial literacy, more stable sales channels, and greater access to training and technology. Expanding MyGAP's reach could benefit more smallholders, but requires addressing barriers like simplified application processes and financial incentives.
Gender gaps: The study found notable gender disparities in farming practices and access to agricultural resources. Women smallholders, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, were more involved in crop farming, especially vegetable cultivation, but tended to reserve a portion of their output for household consumption. They also had lower access to machinery, equipment, vehicles, and internet, as well as less participation in agricultural training and contract farming. Addressing these gender-based inequalities through targeted interventions is crucial.
Smallholder challenges: Smallholders face various challenges, including rising input prices, pest attacks, and climate change. They also struggle with limited access to markets, technology, and financing. Contract farming has emerged as a potential solution, but its implementation faces issues related to government roles and initiatives.
Recommendations: - Enhance smallholders' adaptive capacity to climate change through improved access to climate information, technology, and support networks. - Expand the reach of sustainability standards like MyGAP through simplified application processes, financial incentives, and collaborative certification models. - Address gender gaps by providing tailored training programs, supporting access to agricultural machinery and equipment, and creating gender-sensitive contract farming opportunities. - Improve market linkages, technology adoption, and financial support to enhance the viability and resilience of Malaysia's agrifood smallholder sector.
Overall, the report highlights the need for a multifaceted approach to address the diverse challenges faced by agrifood smallholders in Malaysia, with a focus on climate resilience, sustainability, and gender equity. Targeted interventions and collaborative efforts can help secure the livelihoods and food security of this crucial segment of the agricultural sector.
1861 word summary
This report analysed smallholder survey data (SEMAI) conducted by Khazanah Nasional Berhad (KNB) in collaboration with Khazanah Research Institute (KRI) and Think City. The survey covered 13 states and federal territories, focusing on the crop, livestock, and aquaculture sectors.
Contrary to the perception that farmers are predominantly ageing, the survey demonstrated a shift to a younger and more educated cohort among agrifood smallholders (excluding paddy smallholders). However, educated smallholders were more inclined to pursue alternative employment opportunities, suggesting that offering opportunities for non-farm side income could be attractive if the government wanted to promote a younger, agropreneur-centric sector.
The smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak were found to be the least competitive, attributed to high climate risk, wider gender gap, and lower adoption of good agricultural practices. These smallholders require substantial policy initiatives to help uplift their socio-economic status and food production capacity, crucial for improving the nation's food security.
The report highlights the importance of agricultural standards in promoting sustainability practices, the need for targeted interventions to improve MyGAP certification rates, and the existence of gender gaps among agrifood smallholders, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, requiring gender-responsive policies and programmes.
The SEMAI survey of 3,300 Malaysian smallholders revealed that the top three challenges impacting their farm production were increasing input prices, pest attacks, and climate change. Over 75% of respondents agreed that changes in rainfall patterns affected their farm output.
The study measured the climate risk of these smallholders by assessing their exposure to extreme weather events like heavy rainfall, drought, and flooding, as well as their vulnerability based on factors like education level, access to technology and infrastructure, social networks, and reliance on farming as the main income source.
Crop growers were found to be more concerned about rainfall changes compared to livestock and aquaculture farmers. Smallholders in Peninsular Malaysia also claimed to have better access to climate information than those in Sabah and Sarawak.
The findings highlight the need for targeted adaptation strategies to improve the climate resilience of Malaysia's smallholder food producers, who are crucial for domestic food security. Policymakers should prioritize measures to enhance smallholders' adaptive capacity, such as improving access to climate information, technology, and support networks.
Sustainability standards and certifications play an important role in addressing the challenges faced by smallholder farmers. These include financial constraints, limited access to resources, lack of training, and environmental degradation. One such standard in Malaysia is the Malaysia Good Agricultural Practices (MyGAP), established by the Department of Agriculture in 2002.
MyGAP covers various agricultural sub-sectors and has stringent requirements on record-keeping, soil and land management, chemical handling, worker welfare, and waste management. As of 2023, there are 6,012 MyGAP-certified crop farmers, with paddy and durian being the highest certified crops. The distribution of certified farmers varies across states, with Terengganu having the highest number, largely due to state-level incentives. In contrast, Sabah and Sarawak have relatively low certification rates, potentially due to geographical challenges and fewer state-level initiatives.
Sustainability standards like MyGAP can help address smallholders' challenges by providing training, improving market access, and promoting environmentally-friendly practices. However, the benefits are complex and require further research. Nonetheless, MyGAP represents an important step towards sustainable agriculture in Malaysia.
MyGAP certification is held by a small fraction of Malaysia's farming population, with only 12.3% of smallholders certified. The crops sector dominates MyGAP adoption, accounting for 94.3% of certified smallholders, followed by aquaculture (3.5%) and livestock (2.1%). Smallholders cultivating cash crops like chili, cucumber, and coconut exhibit the highest MyGAP certification rates. This trend reflects the practical advantages of certification for accessing markets that demand it, especially for export.
Geographically, the Central Semenanjung region has the highest concentration of MyGAP-certified smallholders. Demographic factors like age, education, and farm size also influence certification, with younger, more educated farmers with larger farms more likely to be certified.
MyGAP-certified smallholders demonstrate higher financial literacy and better access to financial resources compared to non-certified peers. They also have more stable sales channels and marketing opportunities. Certified farmers also receive greater support through training, technology access, and participation in farmers' associations. These findings suggest that MyGAP certification is associated with positive outcomes for smallholders, highlighting its potential to enhance farming practices and livelihoods. Expanding the reach of MyGAP could benefit more smallholders in Malaysia.
The study examines the landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia, focusing on the adoption of the MyGAP certification. Key findings include:
MyGAP-certified farmers are mostly in the crop subsector and concentrated in Peninsular Malaysia, with lower certification rates in Sabah and Sarawak. Farming experience and education level influence certification, with higher rates among those with longer experience and higher education.
Certified farmers exhibit better financial literacy, as evidenced by higher possession of income records, access to banking, and financial management tools. They also report greater financial security and are more likely to receive agricultural assistance, especially from state governments.
Certified farmers have more stable sales channels, selling more to wholesalers and retailers. This may be due to consumer trust in certified produce quality. Certified farmers also participate more in training, cooperatives, and have better access to technology.
To improve certification rates, the study recommends targeted interventions for less experienced and educated farmers, simplified application processes, financial incentives, and collaborative certification models. Addressing knowledge gaps and bureaucratic barriers are crucial to enable more smallholders to benefit from the MyGAP program.
Group certifications offer a promising strategy for smallholders to pool resources and share certification costs, fostering a sense of community and providing a practical solution to financial challenges. To enhance the effectiveness of MyGAP, best practices from global standards like GlobalGAP and Rainforest Alliance can be adopted. This includes implementing a digitalised platform for traceability and continuous training and monitoring programmes for certified farmers. While MyGAP demonstrates positive benefits, strategic efforts are required to refine its mechanisms, enhance accessibility, and promote awareness. Addressing these aspects is crucial to ensure widespread acceptance and maximise the benefits gained by smallholders in the agricultural sector. Achieving sustainable agricultural practices requires a multifaceted approach that addresses challenges through thoughtful and effective solutions.
The study found notable gender differences in the farming practices and agricultural resources of smallholders in Malaysia. Women smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak were more involved in crop farming, particularly vegetable cultivation, compared to their male counterparts. However, women smallholders tended to reserve a portion of their farm outputs for household consumption rather than selling all their produce.
The study also revealed disparities in access to agricultural resources and training. While land ownership rates were similar between genders, fewer women smallholders possessed machinery, equipment, vehicles, and internet access compared to men. This gender gap was particularly pronounced in Sabah and Sarawak, where women smallholders also had lower participation in agricultural training, especially for farm management.
These findings suggest that women smallholders face greater constraints in accessing productive resources and knowledge, which may impact their agricultural productivity and income. The study highlights the need to address these gender-based inequalities through targeted interventions to support women's empowerment in the agrifood sector. Addressing socio-cultural norms and improving women's access to resources, training, and extension services could help narrow the gender gap among agricultural smallholders in Malaysia.
The report examines gender gaps among agrifood smallholders in Malaysia, highlighting key differences in sociodemographic characteristics, farming practices, agricultural resources, training experience, contract farming, and perceived sales challenges.
Key findings include: - Women smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak had a higher representation in crop farming, especially vegetable cultivation, compared to their male counterparts. - Women smallholders allocated a portion of their farm outputs for household consumption, while men primarily farmed for sales. - Fewer women smallholders owned agricultural machinery/equipment and had training experience, especially in Sabah and Sarawak. - Women smallholders, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, were less likely to participate in contract farming and more likely to rely on direct-to-consumer sales, perceiving their sales as irregular and experiencing difficulties finding buyers.
The report suggests policy considerations to address these gender gaps, such as tailored training programs, support for agricultural machinery and equipment, and gender-sensitive contract farming opportunities. Enhancing multi-ministerial collaboration and conducting gender-sensitive impact assessments are also recommended to tackle the root causes of gender inequality in the agrifood sector.
The landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia is characterized by several key points:
Smallholder farmers in Malaysia face various challenges, including limited access to markets, technology, and financing. Contract farming has emerged as a potential solution, allowing smallholders to access markets and resources. However, the implementation of contract farming faces issues related to government roles and initiatives.
Gender dynamics play a significant role in agricultural production and decision-making. Women often face barriers in accessing resources, extension services, and decision-making power. The feminization of agriculture has led to increased workloads for women, with implications for their well-being and food security.
Mechanization and digital technologies can help address the gender gap in agriculture, but their adoption is influenced by social norms and access to resources. Improving women's participation in agricultural innovation and decision-making is crucial for enhancing productivity and resilience.
Overall, the landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia is complex, with the need to address gender inequalities, improve access to resources and markets, and leverage technological advancements to support the livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers.
The landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia is diverse, with a range of crop, livestock, and aquaculture activities. Most smallholders own or manage farms under 12 acres for fruits, 5 acres for vegetables and herbs, and less than 50 heads of livestock. Many are contract farmers with formal or informal agreements on output sales and prices.
Smallholders face several challenges, including labour shortages, rising input costs, lack of research and infrastructure, and limited access to markets and financing. Many struggle with low productivity and profitability. To address these issues, they rely on a mix of financing sources, including personal savings, family/friends, and government grants.
Most smallholders maintain financial records and have access to banking services, though financial literacy remains a concern. They express difficulties in obtaining up-to-date market price information and finding reliable buyers for their produce. Addressing these gaps through improved market linkages, technology adoption, and financial support could enhance the viability and resilience of Malaysia's agrifood smallholder sector.
The study examines the landscape of agrifood smallholders in Malaysia, focusing on climate standards and gender. Key findings include:
Smallholders face challenges related to input prices, access to markets, and lack of knowledge on new agricultural methods. Many lack financial resources and information to address climate change impacts.
Gender disparities are observed, with women more likely to use produce for own/family consumption and have less access to agricultural machinery, transportation, and technology. Women also receive less training on farm management and new methods.
To address these gaps, the study recommends targeted training and support for smallholders, especially women, in areas like financial management, marketing, and use of digital technologies. Strengthening agricultural research and extension services, as well as improving infrastructure and access to financing, are also crucial.
Overall, the report provides insights to enhance the resilience and productivity of Malaysia's smallholder farming sector, while promoting gender equity. Tailored interventions addressing the unique needs of this diverse group of producers can help secure their livelihoods and food security.