Farming and food
![A villager in Chukeni, Zambia, where the harvests have been hit by drought [Annie Bungeroth]](/var/storage/images/media_folder/cafod/images/international_images/africa/zambia/woman_holding_farm_tool_zambia/4425-2-eng-GB/woman_holding_farm_tool_zambia_1column50_12space_landscape.jpg)
Farming is a way of life for up to 80 per cent of people in poorer countries, but it is hard for small-scale farmers to make a living from it
Agriculture is often the only means of survival for people living in poverty. But for many poor climate, lack of equipment, or no training makes even just growing enough food to survive impossible.
Our work helps give people in rural areas the essential skills to provide for themselves for the long term, such as learning sustainable farming techniques and rearing better quality animals.
Salud Relatado learned her farming skills from our partner JPIP in the Philippines, and is now sharing that knowledge with her friends and neighbours. "Before as farmers we just did very short term planning but I learned how to think for the long term.
"Our vegetable garden has greatly reduced expenses for food because we've stopped buying vegetables. And growing herbs mean we don't have to buy medicines because they're very effective."
 | 50 years of CAFOD: What lit your flame? As we begin to mark our 50th anniversary year at CAFOD, our director, Chris Bain, shares how some of CAFOD's staff became inspired tojoin the fight against poverty and injustice. |
 | Philippines: hundreds dead after typhoon We have pledged £100,000 to support our partners in their response to the typhoon that hit the Philippines in December 2011. |
 | Bangladesh floods: our response August 2011: Severe monsoon rains in Bangladesh have caused several major rivers to burst their banks, affecting nearly one million people. |
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Hundreds of people from all over Africa are joining a “Caravan of Hope”, which is covering more than 4,000 miles and 10 countries en route to the UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa. Follow the 'Caravan of Hope ' live on twitter , and read blogs from some of the people involved >> |
![Jul Yap now has a flourishing coconut crop thanks to training from CAFOD's partner JPIP [Annie Bungeroth]](/var/storage/images/about-cafod/where-we-work/philippines/images/jul-yap-gathering-coconuts/50806-3-eng-GB/jul-yap-gathering-coconuts_0column75_06space_landscape.jpg) |
In many countries, only a small proportion of the population is in paid employment, as most people provide for their families through farming or fishing |
