The agriculture sector is facing a global challenge to adapt to the environmental and social needs of the world, and to provide a solution for their issues. Small scale food producers are a driving force towards a socially and ecologically sustainable agriculture system, especially since small scale producers are the most resilient and climate-adapted forms of agriculture, which are essential to biodiversity and natural resources conversation, while the support of these farmers help to eliminate poverty and hunger.

To help the growth of the small-scale farmers, and to support their work, these elements of the agriculture need to be supported and prepared to the future challenges. FAO is in the best position to support and help these farmers through sharing knowledge on such events, like the workshop, which was held during the EAAP conference, on the 1st of September, 2015.

Since EAAP Associates scientists and practitioners, as well as representatives of the administration linked to animal science from nearly all European and several world countries, it was a great opportunity to hold a side workshop on the topic of “Future challenges and strategies for smallholders”.

With the workshop FAO provided an opportunity to provide information and knowledge on Future challenges and strategies for smallholders and generate a discussion about several occurring problems in the livestock sector.

Country studies

• Reflection on small scale farms and their sustainable development in Albania
• Особенности развития и регулирования малых форм хозяйствования в сельском хозяйстве Армении
• Challenges for smallholder livestock production in Croatia  
• Состояние, проблемы и стратегия мелких фермерских животноводческих хозяйств Грузии
• Polish experience from the transformation period and the EU membership, future challanges and strategies for small farm holders
• Future challanges and strategies for smallholders in Serbia
• The current state and perspectives of livestock production development in family farms in Ukraine