The goodwill ambassador for the International Year of
Family Farming for the World Farmers Organisation (WFO), Mr Ger Sonnleitner, has
outlined some Seven ways to promote family farming and rural development, NaijaAgroNet reports.
The two day conference
on family farming in Brussels,
according to NaijaAgroNet
reports is on “Regional
Dialogue on Family Farming: Working towards a strategic approach to promote
food security and nutrition.”
The conference
is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO) in collaboration with the World Farmer’s Organisation (WFO), the World
Rural Forum (WRF), and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
The event taking
place in the framework of the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) NaijaAgroNet gathered is the final
conference in a series of five held to increase knowledge on the state of
family farming, the challenges and the actions and policies needed.
Additionally, NaijaAgroNet reports that the
regional dialogue on family farming is a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at
identifying best practices in family farming as well as policies and practices
in support of family farming around the world.
The year, NaijaAgroNet gathered will serve as
a catalyst in the creation of a multi-stakeholder dialogue that will continue
after the IYFF comes to an end in order to keep family farming high on the
international agenda.
Mr Gerd
Sonnleitner, representative of the World Farmers’ Organisation, spoke at the
opening ceremony of the conference, and highlighted seven points that are
deemed to be fundamental in order to ensure rural development around the world.
He listed good
governance, enabling rural development through capacity development programmes
for farmers, pointing out that rural development must be a central point on the
international development agenda, just as there must be a specific support
measures for small farmers aimed at making their farming activities more
profitable.
Equally, he
advocated for “economically and politically independent farmers’ organizations”
stressing that modernization of farming, and a subsequent increase in
production, and positive effects on food insecurity cannot be over-emphasised,
just as a local and regional focus of rural development programs, and keeping
in mind that one size does not fit all, are imperative.
“In this moment
of crisis, family farming represents a flexible model, able to adapt to
changing contexts and emerging challenges such as climate change, price
volatility, and the marginalization of farmers in the value chain,” he said.
Insisting that if
all work together and promote this model of farming, the issue of food security
will no longer be a global problem.
Remmy Nweke
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
