Berlin Green Week’14: WFO says resilience, the keyword

NaijaAgroNet

The Executive Director, World Food Organisation (WFO-OMA) Mr. Marco Marzano, has said that resilience is the keyword the Berlin Green Week 2014 gets underway within the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), NaijaAgroNet reports.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the International Green Week in Berlin, which began at the weekend, would last till January 26, 2014 is reputed as the world's biggest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture.

Marzano also disclosed that the commencement of Global Forum for Food and Agriculture that it represents a unique opportunity for different stakeholders of the agricultural sector, including government representatives, United Nations (UN) agencies, governmental development agencies,  to meet and discuss about the latest challenges affecting the sector.

“This year title, Empowering Agriculture: Fostering Resilience – Securing Food and Nutrition, already contains the seed of a possible solution for overcoming some of the threats,” Marzano said, stressing that resilience is the keyword, adaptation the way out.

“We all work for having food and nutrition security as the final result” the Executive Director said.

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Family farming, organizational model to overcome food crisis - WFO

NaijaAgroNet:

The family farm represents the backbone of agriculture all over the world according to the World Farmers' Organisation (OMA-WFO) during an intervention at the conference tagged "Family farming: A dialogue towards more sustainable and resilient farming in Europe and the world," reports NaijaAgroNet.

The forum was sponsored by the European Commission which was held in Brussels within the context of the "International Year of Family Farming."

Luis Miguel Etchevehere, WFO Board Member, Marco Marzano de Marinis, WFO Executive Director and Cinzia Pagni, represented WFO jointly reaffirmed to NaijaAgroNet the active role of the organization in the framework of the global initiative of the United Nations scheduled for the year 2014.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that with FAO and other organizations such as the World Rural Forum, WFO actively participation in the International Steering Committee for the International Year of Family Farming, the aim of achieving the goals set by the UN. 

Family farming, NaijaAgroNet reports, plays an important role among the nearly 60 members of the WFO coming from 44 different countries.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that in some countries, such as Belgium, Ghana, Norway and Sweden, family farming represents the quasi entirety of the agricultural sector, while in others, such as Switzerland, United Kingdom (UK), Finland, Ireland, Uganda, Australia constitutes 95 per cent of the agricultural production.

Globally, WFO says, family farming represents the principal organizational model in agriculture.

Family farming, therefore, represents an important opportunity for the economy; some countries already implemented policies to support family farming, while in other countries more work needs to be done. 

In addition, NaijaAgroNet learnt that among WFO members, the UK, Finland and Switzerland have highlighted the need for measures to enhance competitiveness and reduce the dependency from the European funds of the CAP for example. On the other hand, some countries are asking for more funds directed to specific countries, such as Albania, South Africa and Ghana, or better access to credit, such as Uganda.

According to WFO’s Cinzia Pagni, they are aware of the difficulties faced by family farmers, namely the limited access to credit, marginal position in the value chain, lack of infrastructure, limited access to information, and a marginalized role in international fora and development agendas, hence “WFO considers the 2014 International Year of Family Farming as an excellent opportunity to reposition family farming on the top of national, regional, and international development agendas.”

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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