A Two things distinguish food production from all other productive activities: first, every single person needs food each day and has a right to it; and second, it is hugely dependent on nature. A 相较于其他生产活动，粮食生产主要有2点特征：首先，每天每个人都需要并且有权利获得食物；其次，粮食的来源很大程度上依赖自然的供给。 These two unique aspects, one political, the other natural, make food production highly vulnerable and different from any other business. 这2点特征，一个与政策相关，另一个与自然相关，它们使得粮食生产高度脆弱，也有别于其他行业。 At the same time, cultural values are highly entrenched in food and agricultural systems worldwide. 与此同时，文化价值观念深植于粮食以及全球农业系统。

B Farmers everywhere face major risks, including extreme weather, long-term climate change, and price volatility in input and product markets. B 各地的农民面临的主要风险，包括极端的天气，长期的气候变化，在粮食投入和产品市场的价格波动。 However, smallholder farmers in developing countries must in addition deal with adverse environments, both natural, in terms of soil quality, rainfall, etc., and human, in terms of infrastructure, financial systems, markets, knowledge and technology. 然而，发展中国家的小型农场主们必须还得再次去解决以下问题，比如恶劣的环境，不仅是与土质、降雨等相关的自然环境，还有像基础设施、金融系统、市场、知识与技术相关的人文环境。 Counter-intuitively, hunger is prevalent among many smallholder farmers in the developing world. 奇怪的是，发展中国家的小型农场主们普遍面临着吃不吃饱的问题。

C Participants in the online debate argued that our biggest challenge is to address the underlying causes of the agricultural system’s inability to ensure sufficient food for all, and they identified as drivers of this problem our dependency on fossil fuels and unsupportive government policies. C 网上辩论的参与者认为，农业系统不能够保证所有人充足的粮食，我们最大的挑战是找出这个问题的根本原因；他们还指出我们对于化石燃料以及不给力的政府政策的依赖促使此项问题的产生。

D On the question of mitigating the risks farmers face, most essayists called for greater state intervention. D 对于降低农民面临风险的问题，大多数评论家呼吁国家更大范围的干涉。 In his essay, Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, argued that governments can significantly reduce risks for farmers by providing basic services like roads to get produce more efficiently to markets, or water and food storage facilities to reduce losses. 在国际农业发展基金组织的主席，Kanayo F, Nwanze的文章中指出，通过提供基本服务，像道路建设从而更加高效的将粮食运输到市场的服务、或者提供水和粮食的存储装备从而减少损失的服务，政府可以大幅度降低农民所面临的风险。 Sophia Murphy, senior advisor to the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, suggested that the procurement and holding of stocks by governments can also help mitigate wild swings in food prices by alleviating uncertainties about market supply. 农业和贸易政策研究所的高级顾问Sophia Murphy建议，政府部门所进行的采购和股票持有可以通过缓解市场供应的不确定性来缓解粮食价格的剧烈波动。

E Shenggen Fan, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute, held up social safety nets and public welfare programmes in Ethiopia, Brazil and Mexico as valuable ways to address poverty among farming families and reduce their vulnerability to agriculture shocks. E 国际粮食政策研究所所长Shenggen Fan 维护埃塞俄比亚、巴西和墨西哥的社会安全网络与公共福利项目，这些可以作为去解决农户贫穷问题、降低农户抗农业冲击性差问题的有用方法。 However, some commentators responded that cash transfers to poor families do not necessarily translate into increased food security, as these programmes do not always strengthen food production or raise incomes. 然而，一些评论者回应指出，现金援助贫困家庭并不能有效加强粮食安全，因为这些项目并不是一直增加粮食生产、增加收入。 Regarding state subsidies for agriculture, Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director of Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha, commented in her essay that these ‘have not compensated for the stranglehold exercised by private traders. 鉴于国家对农业的补贴，孟加拉国BNPS组织主席Rokeya Kabir在她的文章中评论，这些并没有弥补私营商人垄断所带来的损失。 In fact, studies show that sixty percent of beneficiaries of subsidies are not poor, but rich landowners and non-farmer traders.’ 事实上，研究显示60%的津贴受益人其实并不是贫穷的农民，而是有钱的土地拥有者和非农民商人。

F Nwanze, Murphy and Fan argued that private risk management tools, like private insurance, commodity futures markets, and rural finance can help small-scale producers mitigate risk and allow for investment in improvements. F Nwanze, Murphy 和 Fan争论指出，私人风险管理工具，比如私人保险、商品未来市场、农村金融有助于减轻小规模生产商所遇到的风险，加大投资。 Kabir warned that financial support schemes often encourage the adoption of high-input agricultural practices, which in the medium term may raise production costs beyond the value of their harvests. Kabir 警告，金融支持项目常常促进采用高投入的农业实践，从中期来看，这会加大生产费用，使其超出农产品丰收后的价值。 Murphy noted that when futures markets become excessively financialised they can contribute to short-term price volatility, which increases farmers’ food insecurity. Murphy指出，当未来市场变得过度金融化，市场会导致短期价格波动，这会加重农民粮食的不安全性。 Many participants and commentators emphasised that greater transparency in markets is needed to mitigate the impact of volatility, and make evident whether adequate stocks and supplies are available. 许多参与者和评论者强调，市场需要更大的透明度，从而减轻价格波动所带来的影响，清楚表明是否能够获得充足的库存及供给。 Others contended that agribusiness companies should be held responsible for paying for negative side effects. 其他人认为，农业公司应该为负面影响负责买单。

G Many essayists mentioned climate change and its consequences for small-scale agriculture. G 很多评论家提到气候变化以及它对小型农业所带来的影响。 Fan explained that ‘in addition to reducing crop yields, climate change increases the magnitude and the frequency of extreme weather events, which increase smallholder vulnerability.’ Fan解释，除了造成粮食减产外，气候变化也加大了极端天气的强度及其发生频率，这会使小佃农面对极端天气时变得更为脆弱。 The growing unpredictability of weather patterns increases farmers’ difficulty in managing weather-related risks. 天气模式更多的不可预测性使农民解决天气问题变得越来越困难。 According to this author, one solution would be to develop crop varieties that are more resilient to new climate trends and extreme weather patterns. 根据这位作者所说，一种解决方法就是要开发能更有弹性的应对新的环境形势以及极端天气类型的作物品种。 Accordingly, Pat Mooney, co-founder and executive director of the ETC Group, suggested that ‘if we are to survive climate change, we must adopt policies that let peasants diversify the plant and animal species and varieties/breeds that make up our menus.’ 因此，ETC公司联合创始人兼执行董事Pat Mooney表明，如果我们想在气候变化中生存下去，我们必须采取政策让农民多样化农作物和饲养动物的种类和品种。

H Some participating authors and commentators argued in favour of community-based and autonomous risk management strategies through collective action groups, co-operatives or producers’ groups. H 一些参与的作者和评论员主张通过集体行动团体、合作社或生产者团体，支持以社区为基础的、自主的风险管理策略。 Such groups enhance market opportunities for small-scale producers, reduce marketing costs and synchronise buying and selling with seasonal price conditions. 这样的团体为小型生产商增加市场机会，减少市场花销，购买和销售与季节性价格同步。 According to Murphy, ‘collective action offers an important way for farmers to strengthen their political and economic bargaining power, and to reduce their business risks.’ 根据Murphy, 集体行动提供给农民一个很重要的方法加强他们的政治经济谈判权，并且减少他们的商业风险。 One commentator, Giel Ton, warned that collective action does not come as a free good. 一位评论员，Giel Ton, 警告集体行动也需要付出代价。 It takes time, effort and money to organise, build trust and to experiment. 它需要时间、精力、金钱去组织、建立信任并且去实践。 Others, like Marcel Vernooij and Marcel Beukeboom, suggested that in order to ‘apply what we already know’, all stakeholders, including business, government, scientists and civil society, must work together, starting at the beginning of the value chain. 其他评论员，像Marcel Vernooij和Marcel Beukeboom表明，为了应用我们所已知的，所有利益相关者，包括商业、政府、科学家以及公民社会，在价值链开始之初，都必须一起合作。

I Some participants explained that market price volatility is often worsened by the presence of intermediary purchasers who, taking advantage of farmers’ vulnerability, dictate prices. I 一些参与者解释，中介买家会利用农民的脆弱性，操纵价格，他们的存在往往会加剧市场价格波动。 One commentator suggested farmers can gain greater control over prices and minimise price volatility by selling directly to consumers. 一位评论员建议，农民可以更好的控制价格，通过直销给顾客的形式将价格波动减少到最低。 Similarly, Sonali Bisht, founder and advisor to the Institute of Himalayan Environmental Research and Education (INHERE), India, wrote that community-supported agriculture, where consumers invest in local farmers by subscription and guarantee producers a fair price, is a risk-sharing model worth more attention. 同样，印度喜马拉雅环境研究与教育研究所创始人兼顾问Sonali Bisht写道社区支持的农业这一风险共享的模型值得更多关注。社区支持的农业，也就是通过订购方式，消费者投资当地农民并且保证生产商一个公平的价格。 Direct food distribution systems not only encourage small-scale agriculture but also give consumers more control over the food they consume, she wrote. 她写道，直接的食品配送系统不仅鼓励小型农业，而且能够让消费者更多的控制他们所消费的食物。