Family farmers are the backbone of food security and nutrition in Africa, let their voices be heard
Radio campaign aims to advance resilient family farming in Africa
29 July 2020, Accra – A new radio campaign launched today aims to amplify the voices of family farmers across Africa and highlight issues related to family farming and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is set to reach an estimated 10 million people through 100 radio stations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The campaign is part of the YenKasa Africa initiative – supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Farm Radio International (FRI) and farmer organizations – which aims to encourage knowledge-sharing to support agricultural and rural development. ‘Yen kasa’ is an expression from Ghana that means ‘let’s talk/let’s dialogue’.
“Family farmers must be at the centre of efforts to transform African food systems if we are to make real progress towards ending hunger and malnutrition. Encouraging farmers to speak up and share their knowledge through this campaign is an important part of that wider effort,” said FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Abebe Haile-Gabriel.
Family farmers, including pastoralists, fishers and foresters, produce about 80 percent of the food consumed in Africa, and are the backbone of rural economies and food security and nutrition. They are stewards of increasingly-scarce natural resources and the environment and are on the frontline of dealing with the impacts of climate change. Yet they have little say in policy decisions that impact their lives and livelihoods, and they are among the poorest and most marginalized groups in the world.
Participating radio stations will feature interviews, farmers’ stories, talkback segments, dramatic pieces and campaign spots on a range of issues including youth in agriculture, gender inequalities, land rights, innovations, and preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Radio stations wanting to receive the campaign kit and take part can register online {LINK}.
The campaign is a collaboration between FAO, FRI, the international farmers’ organization La Via Campesina, and African farmers’ organizations: The Pan African Farmers Organization (PAFO), the Regional Platform of Farmers' Organizations of Central Africa (PROPAC), and the Network of Farmers' Organizations and Agricultural Producers of West Africa (ROPPA).
It comes during the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028) (UNDFF) which is promoting the role of family farming worldwide.