Small-scale food producers make up 90 per cent of farmers worldwide. Adoption of agro-ecological methods through capacity building of small-scale producers can foster biodiversity, natural soil fertility, water conservation and biological control of insects and shift food production to a sustainable path. Today much of what we eat is produced by an industrial agricultural system that has maximized yields but threatens human health and degrades both land and sea. Here, MSMEs can take up organic agriculture to reduce consumer reliance on food from industrial agricultural production systems. Organic agriculture, as a part of sustainable agriculture in developing countries, offers a unique combination of low external input technology, environmental conservation and input/output efficiency.
More and more enterprises are seeing the commercial potential in sectors related to ecological restoration, including those whose main value proposition is linked to forest and landscape restoration. This may be a direct link, enterprises that plant trees, for example, or an indirect one, such as companies that offer technology or consulting services for restoration. A restoration enterprise can also include companies whose revenues are not directly linked to restoration, but whose customers are drawn to them because they channel their profits toward restoration. Existing MSMEs and start-ups need to be supported with capacity building to tap the new business opportunities stemming from contributing to the SDGs.
Policy measures to support Goal 15:
- Commit to and implement responsible sourcing practices beyond compliance, applying environmental and social safeguards for all raw materials and commodities.
- Promote technology innovation by MSMEs to maximize resource efficiency, reduce ecosystem impacts and decrease carbon emissions.
