Agriculture

Agricultural production and processing provide great opportunities for persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups to participate in building disaster resilience.

To implement agriculture-based livelihood programs inclusively:

• Identify the barriers for at-risk groups which may limit their participation in agricultural activities and develop strategies to address these barriers in consultations with local organisations representing persons with disabilities, including women, and other at-risk groups in the community.
• Engage representative organisations in supporting the inclusion, as they can provide expertise on inclusion in programming and facilitate or promote access of at-risk groups to public services.
• Provide direct support to persons with disabilities and older persons to participate in agriculture by: 
  • providing assistive technology to ensure access to fields and farmland,
  • supporting the modification of agricultural tools or production facilities to make them more accessible,
  • facilitating access to rehabilitation services,
  • facilitating access to land and resources, providing support with business plan development or providing small animal for breeding close to the house).
• Facilitate participation of farmers with disabilities and other marginalised farmers by providing agricultural skills training inclusively, facilitating inclusion in agriculture extension activities and microcredit schemes (which might require adaptation) and additional support to business plans and monitoring.
• Sensitize and influence community groups and organisations (like Village Savings and Loan Associations, financial service providers and insurers, training providers) to be more inclusive of all groups in the community.
• Facilitate the formation of inclusive self-help groups of persons with a variety of backgrounds, to enable peer support, joint production and processing activities and strengthen confidence and financial awareness.

Remember to:

• Start from the assumption that everyone, including persons with disabilities and older persons, are capable to participate in all activities with the right adaptations and provision of support.  
• Consider both the individual needs and capabilities of at-risk groups and the barriers to market opportunities when assessing livelihoods options.
• Consider whether there are groups or subgroups who are more likely to be excluded from agricultural activities, for example persons with more severe or multiple disabilities, such as persons who are deafblind, women and girls with disabilities or persons with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities. 
• In situations where persons with severe functional limitations may not be able to engage in agricultural activities, apply a holistic approach involving the family, for example by providing support so that family members can be engaged.