FAO chief stresses role of family farming in nourishing world
DATE:2014-10-17 SOURCE:Xinhua News Agency
ROME, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Family farming plays an important role in the global fight against hunger and it needs innovation in a more globalized world, a UN official said Wednesday.
"To win the war against hunger, we need political commitment, a holistic approach, social participation and family farming," said Jose Graziano da Silva, director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Throughout the world, family farmers play a crucial socio-economic,environmental and cultural role which, amid serious challenges, needs to be cherished and strengthened through innovation, he said.
Recognizing this, he said, the United Nations designated 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming.
The theme of this year''s World Food Day -- "They feed the world and care for the Earth" -- also highlights the contribution family farmers make to food security and sustainable development.8 Graziano said 63 developing countries have reached the Millennium Development goal of halving the proportion of chronic undernourishment by 2015.
But a lot more needs to be done as about 805 million people in the world still do not have enough to eat, according to the FAO chief.
He said around 500 million of the world''s 570 million farms are run by families and they are the main caretakers of our natural resources.
As a sector, family farmers form the world''s largest employer, supply more than 80 percent of the world''s food in terms of value, and are often the main producers of fresh food and prosper in dairy, poultry and pig production, he added.
Over the past few decades, profound changes have happened in the way food is produced, traded and consumed, the FAO chief said, adding that agricultural productivity has dramatically increased thanks to scientific and technological progress.
A growing and increasingly urbanized world population is relying on food produced by a much smaller percentage of farmers compared to that in the post-Second World War period, he said.
As the marketplace for agriculture and food products has become globalized, family farming and the support it receives need to adjust in ways that can respond to a changing landscape, Graziano said.
The FAO chief said innovation is the key -- family farmers need to innovate in the systems they use; governments need to innovate in specific policies they implement to support family farming; producers'' organizations need to innovate to respond better to the needs of family farmers; and research institutions need to innovate by shifting from a research-driven process predominantly based on technology transfer to an approach that enables and rewards innovation by family farmers themselves.
Additionally, innovation needs to be inclusive, involving family farmers in the generation, sharing and use of knowledge so that they have ownership of the process, taking on board both the benefits and the risks, and making sure that it truly responds to local contexts, the FAO chief said.
He said family farmers need to produce enough food not just for themselves, but also for people in rural areas not involved in farming or city dwellers.
They need to generate income -- money not only to buy inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, but also to guarantee decent livelihoods including paying for their children''s education and other needs, he added.
When family farmers are stronger, it is a win-win situation: more food available locally translates into more food security and into the possibility of producing and buying food for local markets.
In turn, fresher and healthier meals that respect local culture and value local food will contribute to better nutrition and make more money flow in local economies helping them flourish, Graziano said.
We need to create the conditions for the youth to view a life in rural areas as a future of opportunities; this includes training programs that can allow them to tap into their entrepreneurial potential, he said.
"As we rapidly approach the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals, we are also working together to forge the sustainable, hunger-free future we want. Family farmers are protagonists in this effort," he said.