Behind every dish that reaches the table, there is a story that begins long before the kitchen. It is millions of small farmers who grow the food that nourishes the world. Most of them work on less than two hectares of land and produce a third of what we eat. Nevertheless, they face the greatest risks of climate change.
Droughts, floods, and pests caused by extreme phenomena jeopardize their crops and, with them, their subsistence. Without proper protection, a bad season can force a family to go into debt, sell their land, or take their children out of school. This is the most invisible face of the climate crisis.
The impact does not end in the field. What affects farmers also affects what the rest of the people in cities eat, how much it costs, and if it will be available. Sensitive crops like coffee are at risk in countries like Ethiopia, with global consequences for the price and quality of the product.
Betting on small farmers is betting on the future. Photo: Somos Jujuy.
Small Producers, Big Challenges
Despite their central role, less than 20% of small farmers have access to agricultural insurance. These tools not only provide financial assistance but also allow producers to plan, invest, and adapt to new sustainable practices without fear of losing everything.
Programs like those promoted by UNDP in India, Uganda, or Colombia demonstrate that, with adequate support, agricultural insurance can be key to building more resilient food systems. In these countries, thousands of producers have already managed to regain stability after losing their crops due to climatic phenomena.
Spain, with decades of experience in agricultural insurance, plays a leading role in promoting public policies that protect the countryside. The International Conference on Development Financing in Seville is an opportunity to redouble the commitment to farmers who sustain global food security.
regenerative agriculture
Planting Protection to Harvest the Future
Access to agricultural insurance is not a privilege: it is an urgent necessity in an increasingly vulnerable world. Investing in these mechanisms means investing in biodiversity, in stronger rural economies, and in a fairer food chain.
Taking care of those who produce food is also a way of taking care of the planet. Without them, there is no kitchen, no culture, no community. And without financial protection, their future —and ours— is at the mercy of the climate.
