How to Empower Farmers — and Nourish the Planet | Agnes Kalibata | TED

翻译人员: Jinnie Sun 校对人员: Fuman Jiang

I have told this story a million times,

这个故事我已经讲述一百万遍了，

but I'm going to tell it today again

但我今天要再讲一遍，

so that it can help you connect with the 500 million farmers,

这样它就可以帮助你 与 5 亿农民、

smallholder farmers that are out there.

小农户建立联系。

I grew up on a small farm in Uganda

我在乌干达的一个小农场长大，

where my parents were refugees from Rwanda.

我的父母是来自卢旺达的难民。

My parents farmed. They grew cassava, maize and potatoes.

我父母务农。 他们种了木薯、玉米和土豆。

My mom dug the land and fed us.

我妈妈农作并喂养我们。

My dad never touched the hoe even once,

我爸爸从来没有碰过锄头，

and my mom never complained

我妈妈也从来没有抱怨过，

because she felt it was her responsibility to feed the family.

因为她觉得养家糊口是她的责任。

Fast-forward, I got out of there at the age of around 14,

很快，我 14 岁左右就离开了那里，

thanks to the fact that my dad had been a teacher in Rwanda.

这要归功于我父亲在卢旺达当过老师。

But I was the exception, not the rule.

但我是个例外，而非常例。

And I'm here today to tell you that empowering smallholder farmers

我今天在这里告诉大家， 赋予小农户力量

can change their lives, can nourish people, improve economies

可以改变他们的生活， 可以喂饱人类，改善经济，

and actually help them deal

也可以真正帮助他们

with the current challenge of climate change.

应对当前气候变化的挑战。

When I finished school, I worked in research in Uganda,

当我完成学业时， 我在乌干达从事研究工作，

and a friend of mine gave me two kilograms of seed to take to my parents.

我的一个朋友给了我两公斤的种子 并要我带给我的父母。

This was an improved variety.

这是一个经过改良的品种。

When my mom planted it,

当我妈妈种植它时，

she got 10 bags in a place where she would have usually got three bags.

她在通常只会收获三袋作物的土地上 收获了十袋的作物。

She sold some to fellow farmers and bought herself a traditional dress.

她把一些卖给了其他农民， 给自己买了一件传统服装。

She did not have to ask my dad for money.

她不需要向我爸要钱。

That was the first time,

那是第一次，

and I still remember the excitement and the joy in her face

我现在仍然记得她脸上的兴奋和喜悦，

like it was yesterday.

这件事就像发生在昨天一样。

But of course she needed more seed, and she wanted more of the same seed.

但是，她当然需要更多的种子， 并且她想要更多相同的种子。

In my mind, I was like, if I can empower my mother,

在我看来，如果我能赋予妈妈力量，

like I did with one sack of seed,

像我用一袋种子做的那样，

I can definitely empower whole villages.

我就一定能赋予整个村庄力量。

I can help send more girls to school.

我可以帮助更多女孩上学。

I still remember the pain I felt

我仍然记得

when I was told that my best friend had been married at 15

当我被告知我最好的朋友 要在 15 岁时结婚时所感受到的痛苦，

because her parents could not keep her in school.

因为她的父母无法支撑她的学业。

I still think of all the girls that did not make it out of my village

我还能想起所有

因为没有我那样的机会 而未能走出我的村庄的女孩。

because they didn't have the opportunities I had.

And it gives me a certain yearning

它使我产生一种向往，

that actually keeps me grounded in the realities of my world.

这种向往使我扎根于世界的现实。

The opportunity came 15 years later

15 年后机会来了，

when I joined the leadership of Ministry of Agriculture in Rwanda,

当我加入卢旺达农业部的领导层，

ultimately as the minister.

最终担任部长时。

This is not a country where you want to wake up as a minister.

这不是一个你想醒来发现 自己是部长的国家。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Farmers’ land holdings are the smallest in the world,

卢旺达的农民拥有的土地 是世界上最少的，

at least in Africa.

至少在非洲是如此。

The country is mountainous.

这个国家有很多山。

Farmers lose land every season.

农民每个季节都会失去土地。

And the country was just coming out of a genocide,

并且这个国家刚刚摆脱 种族灭绝的威胁，

and everybody was struggling.

每个人都在挣扎。

But this did not water down my excitement.

但这并没有淡化我的兴奋。

In my mind, I was served lemons, and I needed to make lemonade.

在我看来，我已有了柠檬， 然后我需要做柠檬汁。

I took advantage of the fact that Rwandan farmers owned their land,

我利用卢旺达农民拥有 他们的土地这一事实，

and we designed a program to consolidate land

设计了一项整合土地的计划，

and synchronize how farmers farmed

同步农民的耕作方式，

without worry of land boundaries.

无需担心土地边界。

My government put in place policies

我国政府制定了政策，

to ensure that farmers had access to seeds and to fertilizers.

确保农民能够获得种子和肥料。

We put in place extension for every 500 hectares.

我们对每 500 公顷的土地进行扩建。

The first season of farming was a lot of preaching and campaigning.

耕种的第一个季节有 大量的宣讲和推广活动。

And why would farmers want to use seeds and fertilizers

农民为什么要使用

他们从未见过的种子和肥料？

they had never seen?

But by the third season, farmers were demanding

但是到了第三个季节，农民们都要求

that seeds and fertilizers be delivered in good time for planting.

在播种之前及时交付种子和肥料。

Three years in, we had a bumper harvest,

三年过去了，我们取得了丰收，

and it was my worst nightmare because we had not prepared for market.

但那也是我最糟糕的噩梦， 因为我们没有为市场做好准备。

I had not thought about storage.

我当时没想过存储。

And maize was everywhere.

玉米无处不在。

Went back to government and my government helped me.

回到政府，我的政府帮助了我。

Working with World Food Program and government procurement agencies,

通过与世界粮食计划署 和政府采购机构合作，

we were able to buy farmers' produce,

我们得以购买农民的农产品，

and we worked with the private sector

我们与私营部门合作，

and set up more long-term solutions

通过储存和加工能力 制定了更持久的解决方案。

through the storing and processing capacity.

Once farmers had a market, the transformation was palpable.

一旦农民有了市场， 转变就显而易见了。

I remember feeling as I walked around the country,

我记得我漫步于全国各地时，

feeling that the air around me was vibrating with energy and excitement.

感受到周围的空气充满了活力和兴奋。

My people were happy, my country was proud.

我的人民很高兴， 我的国家很自豪。

And in the period of six years,

在六年中，

Rwanda was recording poverty reduction levels

卢旺达的减贫

that were not being seen in the region,

达到了该地区前所未有的水平，

and the World Bank attributed 65 percent of that poverty reduction

世界银行将 65％ 的减贫

to what was happening in the agricultural sector,

归因于农业部门的改变

and related value addition.

以及相关的增值。

Here is the thing.

事情就是这样。

2.5 million farmers, some of the smallest in the world,

250 万农民， 是世界上农民数量最少的国家之一，

were feeding 12 million people,

在为 1200 万人提供食物，

and they were creating wealth for themselves.

并且他们正在为自己创造财富。

To me, this is what empowering smallholder farmers looks like.

对我来说，这就是 赋予小农户权力的样子。

But a new challenge lay ahead.

但是前面还有新的挑战。

Climate change.

气候变化。

By 2013,

到 2013 年，

crop failure was becoming clear

由于降雨开始得太晚或停止得太早，

because rains were coming too late or stopping too early.

农作物歉收已变得明显。

I vividly remember when I went on a field visit with my president,

我清楚地记得我与总统 进行实地访问的时候，

and clouds started gathering,

云层开始聚集，

like to rain.

像要下雨一样。

Fertilizers were on their way from Ukraine

肥料正从乌克兰运出，

and seeds were on the way from Zambia

种子正在从赞比亚运出，

because we hadn't yet figured out how to produce seeds ourselves.

因为我们还没有想出 如何自己生产种子。

It was two months before the rains, and my heart started beating in my chest.

那时距离下雨还有两个月， 我的心脏开始在胸口跳动。

I was like, what am I going to do?

我当时想，我该怎么做？

Here I am, I'm going to let these farmers down again,

这下我要再次让这些农民失望了，

because then every drop of rain mattered.

因为那每一滴雨都很重要。

Climate change has taken away

气候变化剥夺了

the ability of farmers to understand seasons.

农民了解季节的能力。

Farmers don't know when rains are going to come

农民不知道什么时候会下雨

or when to plant.

或何时播种。

Farmers don't even know what crop to plant anymore.

农民甚至不知道该种什么作物了。

I see this in every country

在我现在担任AGRA（非洲绿色革命联盟） 主席的 15 个国家中我都看到了这一点。

of the 15 countries where I now work as AGRA's president.

Right now, as we speak,

此刻，就在我们谈话之际，

Southern Africa is going through one of the worst droughts ever.

非洲南部正在经历有史以来 最严重的干旱之一。

Zimbabwe has just lost 70 percent of their maize crop yield

津巴布韦刚刚损失了 70％ 的 玉米作物产量，

because of a scorching heat wave.

由于一次酷热的热浪。

The first ever in 40 years.

这是 40 年来的第一次。

Kenya has just experienced a flood

肯尼亚刚刚经历了一场洪水，

that has left the land barren after farmers had planted.

使得土地在农民种植之后变得贫瘠。

But our hands are not tied.

但是我们的双手没有被束缚。

There must be something we can do about it.

我们一定能做点什么。

We have tools that we can deploy.

我们有可以部署的工具。

There are so many things in our capacity, in our ability,

在我们能力范围里， 我们可以做很多事情，

that we can do to empower farmers

让农民重获力量，

to take back their lives and be part of feeding the world.

重新参与耕种。

One, we need to stop climate change in its tracks.

第一，我们需要阻止气候变化。

Top emitting countries need to stop emitting,

排放量最大的国家需要停止排放，

or be prepared to pay farmers

或者做好经济补偿农民的准备，

every time they lose a crop, livestock or property.

当他们每次损失 农作物、牲畜或财产时。

Two years ago,

两年前，

farmers in East Africa lost everything after six consecutive seasons of drought.

在连续六个季节的干旱之后， 东非的农民失去了一切。

Today, we should be able to pay those farmers

今天，我们应该能够 向这些农民付款，

using now the loss and damage fund that was launched last year at COP28.

通过去年在 COP28 上启动的 损失和损害赔偿基金。

Reversing climate change is going to take some time.

扭转气候变化需要一些时间。

In the meantime, we need to ensure

同时，我们需要确保

that farmers have access to improved varieties of seed

农民能够获得改良的种子品种，

that need less water,

这些种子需要更少的水，

good fertilizers, extension services,

还应获得优质的肥料、推广服务、

soil health information, climate information and crop insurance

土壤健康信息、 气候信息和作物保险。

that can help them know when to plant,

这可以帮助他们知道要何时播种、

plant early or not to plant at all

提早播种或根本不播种，

and save that seed if rains are not going to happen.

并在不会下雨时省下种子。

Most important,

最重要的是，

we need to ensure that farmers know that disasters are coming

我们需要确保农民知道 灾难的来临，

so that they can get out of the way.

这样他们才能避开它们。

Third,

第三，

we need to invest in post-harvest losses

我们需要投资于收获后的损失，

so that we save everything that comes from every season.

这样我们才能储蓄每个季节产生的一切。

PICS bags designed out of Purdue University

由普渡大学设计的PICS袋

and now commercialized in most of East Africa,

现已在东非大部分地区商业化，

are actually ensuring food security

实际上确保着粮食安全，

because they are allowing farmers to store grain for longer periods.

因为它们让农民能够 更长时间地储存谷物。

Lastly, we need to rethink markets and how farmers access trade,

最后，我们需要重新考虑市场 以及农民如何进入贸易，

especially how African farmers engage in African food markets.

尤其是非洲农民如何 参与非洲粮食市场。

You recently saw European farmers demonstrate

你们最近看到欧洲农民示威，

because they were worried that they were losing their market share.

因为他们担心自己会失去市场份额。

African farmers lost their market share in the 80s and have never regained it.

非洲农民在 90 年代失去了市场份额， 并从未重新获得过。

As a result, Africa produces what it does not consume

结果就是非洲在生产它不消费的东西，

and consumes what it does not produce.

消费它不生产的东西。

The African Continental Free Trade Area that has just been launched

刚刚启动的非洲大陆自由贸易区

is an opportunity for us to start advancing intercontinental trade in Africa

为我们提供了一个机会 开始推进非洲的洲际贸易，

in ways that can work for African smallholder farmers.

以适合非洲小农户的方式。

Everywhere you look in the world today,

无论你在当今世界的哪个角落，

farmers are often poor.

农民往往都很贫穷。

And I get it.

我明白了其中的原因。

We want food to be cheap and affordable.

我们希望食物既便宜又实惠。

But we can't do this at the expense of smallholder farmers.

但是我们不能以牺牲小农户 为代价来做到这一点。

They are businesses too, and we want them to be successful.

他们也是商业的一环， 我们希望他们取得成功。

We want them to be successful because in Africa, and parts of Asia,

我们希望他们取得成功， 因为在非洲和亚洲部分地区，

70 percent of the food we eat

我们吃的食物中的 70％

is grown by smallholder farmers.

是由小农户种植的。

So I would like to flip this.

所以我想改变。

I would like us here, consumers, businesses, politicians

我希望我们在座的 消费者、企业家、政治家

to recognize the place and role of smallholder farmers

认识到小农户的地位和作用，

and how when we empower them,

以及当我们赋予他们力量时，

they can feed themselves,

他们能够如何去养活自己、

improve their livelihoods,

改善生计、

be part of feeding 10 billion people while nourishing the planet.

参与养活 100 亿人的任务， 同时滋养地球。

See, we do not recognize

看，我们没有意识到

that farmers are the best custodians we have of this planet.

农民是这个星球最好的管理人。

They till the land and understand it.

他们耕种这片土地并理解它。

They know it's what they are going to pass on to their children.

他们知道这是他们要传给后代的东西。

They treasure it.

他们珍惜它。

Empowering smallholder farmers

赋予小农户力量，

and ensuring that they are able to advance the lives of their children.

并确保他们能够改善子女的生活。

Give them a shot at education like my dad did

像我父亲一样让那些孩子 有机会接受教育

is what I work towards

是我努力的目标，

and it's what keeps me awake every night.

也是让我每晚都无法入睡的原因。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）