Uncovering the Challenges Faced by Agrifood Smallholders in Malaysia
Being responsible for about 80% of global food production, agrifood smallholders are critical to ensuring food security. However, the growing challenges of climate change coupled with the pressing need for sustainability practices in agrifood production may leave the smallholders vulnerable, with the possibility of women smallholders being impacted inequitably due to gender gaps.
Utilising the data obtained from the SEMAI smallholders survey funded by KNB and in collaboration with KRI and Think City, this report examines the challenges faced by agrifood smallholders in Malaysia. The survey of 3,300 smallholders across three sub-sectors (crops, aquaculture, and livestock) identified key challenges, which are discussed in the four chapters of the report. These chapters cover the pressing issues of climate risks, the adoption of sustainability certificates, and gender gaps among agrifood smallholders in Malaysia.
Overall, the findings point to the need for substantial policy initiatives to uplift the socioeconomic status and enhance agrifood smallholders' food production capacity, especially in Sabah and Sarawak. This is due to their high climate risks, low adoption rates of good agricultural practices, and susceptibility to gender gaps.
Key takeaways of the report:
- Climate risks are experienced unequally across Malaysia. Using historical weather data mapped over the locations of the respondents and the surveyed answers, a Climate Risk index was developed for agrifood smallholders across Malaysia. Results revealed that agrifood smallholders in certain districts are more at risk of extreme weather events than others. Semporna, Beaufort and Kota Belud in Sabah, Belaga, Sibu and Bintulu in Sarawak, Gua Musang and Pasir Mas in Kelantan, Temerloh, Cameron Highlands, Pekan, Jerantut and Bera in Pahang are some of the districts identified. At the state level, Pahang, Sarawak, and Kelantan are most at risk. This means that agrifood smallholders in these areas are exposed to extreme weather events and, at the same time, ill-equipped to adapt to them (vulnerable), posing both a livelihood issue to them and a food security risk for Malaysia.
- MyGAP adoption shows positive outcomes. The survey findings revealed that MyGAP adoption among smallholders remains relatively low, constituting 11% of the total smallholder population. The adoption rate may be influenced by demographic factors, in which smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak, those with lower education levels, and those with shorter farming experience are less likely to be certified. MyGAP adoption is deemed advantageous for smallholders as those with MyGAP appear to have improved perceived financial literacy and security, greater stability in marketing channels, and a higher likelihood of receiving farming support. The main reasons for the low certification rate are that the majority of smallholders are not aware of the existence of the programme and those who do apply often face lengthy waits for application approval. This demands the programme to be further refined and promoted in order to enhance the adoption rate and, consequently, improve the industry’s sustainability.
- Gender gaps are more apparent in Sabah and Sarawak. The survey showed that women’s participation in agrifood smallholding is higher in Sabah and Sarawak than in Peninsular Malaysia, where the surveyed smallholders are predominantly men. While they share similarities in sociodemographic characteristics, there are marked differences in the farming practices (output utilisation and primary sales channels) between men and women smallholders. Despite the similar reliance on farm income, the report highlighted that women smallholders, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak, tend to lag behind in multiple aspects; they are more likely to experience sales challenges and have lower training attendance, machinery and equipment adoption, and contract farming participation rates. These prevailing gender gaps can have negative implications on the economic and social well-being of women smallholders. The persistent gender gaps observed among agrifood smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak also suggest underlying socioeconomic constraints.
Three main policies proposed by the report to address the respective challenges faced by agrifood smallholders include:
- Increase efforts towards climate resilience and adaptation through increased financial allocation and technological support, introducing non-farm side incomes, and intensifying research and development (R&D) on agricultural climate resilience, focusing on smallholders in high climate risk districts and states.
- Increase MyGAP adoption rate by implementing targeted programmes aimed at commonly excluded demographics, such as smallholders in Sabah and Sarawak. Additionally, streamlining the application process, reducing bureaucracy, and incorporating incentives to create a more smallholder-friendly system are important in the effort to enhance the appeal of MyGAP.
- Undertake gender-responsive approaches encompassing tailored training and contract farming opportunities, fit-for-purpose agricultural machinery and equipment support, provision of sales platforms, and sex-disaggregated impact assessment through multi-ministerial collaborations.
Read the full report to understand the agrifood smallholding landscape in Malaysia, the key challenges smallholders face in this sector, and the recommended policies to address the challenges.
The authors acknowledge KNB for funding and leading the Project SEMAI survey, after which KRI had the opportunity to analyse the survey data and author this report. Specifically, we would like to thank the Project SEMAI team, comprising Mohamed Omar Fateh Mohamed, Syafiqah Syakira Saiful Yazan, Lai Cai Xuan, Nazura Ramli, Syamirah Mazmi, and Syed Nazmi Syed Tarmizi Jamalulil.
Further information about Project SEMAI and its questionnaire and dataset can be found at https://semai.khazanah.com.my/.
