FAO Launches New Initiative to Seek Support for Family Farmers

Family farmers, who are leading the global efforts to combat malnutrition by producing 80 percent of the world's food, need stronger support in the middle of increasing hunger and obesity worldwide, according to UN General Assembly President, Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

"In a world where one-third of the food produced is lost or wasted and one third of land is used for livestock production, they are vital socioeconomic actors who can support improved livelihoods, job creation, community cohesion, and development in rural areas," she said to more than 300 participants of an international dialogue on May 26, 2019 in Rome, Italy, co-organized by UN Food and Agriculture Organization and International Fund for Agricultural Development to tackle family farming challenges and opportunities.

This was followed by the launch of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028) and a Global Plan to increase support for family farmers on May 29, 2019. This new initiative aims to create a conducive environment that strengthens the position of family farming, and maximizes family farmers' contributions to global food security and nutrition. It also opens opportunity for governments to adopt policies that support sustainable and diversified family farming and to move towards a new paradigm for food systems and rural development where the focus is "not solely on production but on how to address socioeconomic and environmental sustainability in tandem."

Read more from the FAO news article.