"Family farmers are key actors towards achieving food security, poverty reduction and environmental preservation if supported by an enabling policy environment" (FAO, 2018).
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has published a report on its work on family farming (FF) since the launch of the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) in 2014.
The publication presents key facts and figures on family farming; the contributions of family farming towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and FAO's work on family farming in different regions (Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Near East and North Africa). It also underscored several strategies to scale up activities throughout the Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028). These include the following:
- An enabling environment is key to turning FF potential into reality.
- Strengthening FF means supporting gender equality.
- Youth is the future of FF.
- Helping family farmers face climate change starts a virtuous cycle.
- Promoting FF access to social protection in agriculture leads to better risk management and sustainable production.
- Access to security and tenure is key for FF.
- Innovation for FF means involving family farmers.
- Supporting FF and FF organizations to scale up agroecology.
- Strengthening rural organizations and institutions is key to empowering FF through collective actions.
The full report is available here.