Beyond the International Year of Family Farming

How can governments, farmers' organizations and the private sector use the current global momentum and take concrete measures to support family farmers beyond 2014? This is the central question that arises in the Global Dialogue on Family Farming (GDFF, for its acronym in English), two-day and opened today at FAO.

In his opening address, the Director General of FAO, José Graziano da Silva went directly to farmers and their organizations, who said “Today, they are recognized as central to what FAO does, what the world wants and what the world needs: a sustainable future and food security”.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sándor Fazekas, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture; Carlos Casamiquela, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Argentina; Nicos Kouyialis, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment of Cyprus; Amadou Diallo Minister and the Initiative 3N High Commissioner Niger (French acronym for feed Niger Niger) and Ana María Baiardi, Minister of Women of Paraguay.

The Global Dialogue capitalized mobilization that has occurred as a result of the designation in 2014 by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Family Farming (AIAF), prompting a series of regional and national initiatives to support a sector which produces 80 percent of world food.

“Perhaps the greatest success of the International Year is the strong political commitment we have made”, Señaló Graziano da Silva.

“This is seen, for example, he added, the care you are receiving family farming on the agenda of post-2015 development.”

The Director-General of FAO stressed the need to look beyond production and recognized family farms as transmitters of knowledge and power allied to healthier diets, including strong local food systems that link these farms with schools and communities.

Noting the paradox that family farmers face worldwide, Graziano da Silva said widespread food insecurity still pervades many rural areas: the same areas that serve as storehouses for their communities and the world at large.

Clear advantages

As AIAF nears its end, the Global Dialogue brings together family farmers and their organizations, representatives of governments, civil society, private sector, academia and development agencies to take stock of progress to date and identify key areas of work and international cooperation related to family agriculture beyond 2014.

“Recognizing the clear advantage, should be provided to small family farmers in a conducive policy environment to contribute to the objectives of local and global food security”Said the Hungarian Agriculture Minister Sándor Fazekas, who highlighted Hungary's efforts to make rural lifestyles more attractive, including improving rural infrastructure, easy access to credit and support agro-tourism and organic agriculture .

Fazekas, who called the family farming “model that meets all the requirements of sustainability” and “backbone of Hungarian agriculture”, Highlighted the economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of family farms, giving them credit for creating unique opportunities for employment in rural areas and preserve the traditions and natural resources.

“Besides affordability, family farmers are the custodians of environmental sustainability: use and manage environmental resources, land and water responsibly, keeping their fertile lands for future generations”.

The Global Dialogue on Family Farming takes place two weeks after the government agreed on a Framework for Action on Nutrition, with 60 points- which is expected to be adopted at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (CIN2), to be held in the next 19 to 21 November in Rome.

Family farms have been recognized as a key link in the effort to build nutritious food systems that enable all people lead healthy, productive lives and be a cornerstone in the global fight against poverty.

The Global Dialogue on Family Farming can be followed through the webcast of the FAO and twitter under the hashtag # iyff14.

The closing of the International Year of Family Farming will take place on November 27 in the Philippines.

SOURCE: Fao.org