Women produce as much as 80 percent of the food in most developing countries and are responsible for producing half of the food around the world.

However, their key role as food producers and providers and their critical contribution to household food security is sometimes not recognized, according the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations.

FAO studies on gender and agriculture confirm that while women are the mainstay of small-scale agriculture, farm labor force and day-to-day family subsistence, they have more difficulties than men in gaining access to resources such as land and credit and productivity enhancing inputs and services.

The FAO defines food security as more than immediate access to and availability of food. Food security also takes into account resource distribution, the ability to produce food, and purchasing power to buy food where it is not produced.

Since women often play a central role in food production and provision, all strategies for sustainable food security must address their limited access to resources often more easily accessible to men, including access to land and sources of credit or even the basic tools necessary to get started.

This is a very important issue to me: as a woman farmer and gardener and as a member of my small community (where there are several other women farmers) we need to ensure that we take action in securing the safety and wellbeing of women locally and globally. If we are truly interested in investing time and energy into helping people in less developed countries, it is hightly recommended that we start with helping the women. From there, the aid can taught to their children.

Something must be done. Small farms are greatly important to the less fortunate people of the world and they should be protected.

We need to support small farmers AND open up new markets for them, like Cuba.

I can understand the opposition to a 1.4 billion price tag. If you cannot approve or wait for Congress to act, there is better way that is more cost effective, more direct without bureaucracy, and if this is close to your heart, you can act to support it. If Mercy Corps will allow this comment to give a shout out to another 501-C charity, look up Development in Gardening (DIG) on the web. They have successfully collaborated with poverty stricken, HIV-inflicted or at risk populations in Africa and Latin America. They work with the community to establish vegetable gardens at orphanages, outpatient clinics and former backyard trash dumps. The growers of the community garden are trained to plant a variety of vegetables for better nutrition, as well as providing skills for neighborhood cooperation and generating means of income. The projects are not a one time handout, but emphasize empowerment and sustainability.

Yes, all small farmers and farms everywhere need encouragement and support - besides, if we do not make absolutely enormous lifestyle changes (i.e. downsizes!) in North America right away and perhaps even if we do, with climate change, we will all be in the same position of producing our own food -

Long term sustainability in agriculture is a huge issue. Large, commercial farming operations are looked at as robbers by many but they have their place. They produce to the lowest cost possible and without them, prices increase. When prices increase, people can't afford as much food and families that do not farm starve. That is a fact. However, we all must look to the smaller farmer for the benefits of local production and with good farming practices, increases in overall quality. Education on how to sustain the land and not turn it into a starved out ecosystem is critical and this takes education. Let's not become zealots for smaller farms without becoming advocates of teaching all how to sustain our precious land resource. We can't farm the moon yet.