This paper describes why small-scale food producers have so many difficulties to get to markets, delineates types of agricultural markets and main players, defines main challenges and constraints that small-scale food producers face in relation to food production and access to markets, shows cases of good practices and presents solutions...

This edition opens with a report of the last session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which has helped to ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment feature prominently in the post- 2015 Development Agenda. This will take over from the Millennium Development Goals, whose 2015 deadline...

The product of a two-year collaborative effort among Khon Kaen University, Thailand, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and other partners, this publication sheds light on the need to promote underutilized and indigenous food sources for overcoming malnutrition and hunger in the Asia-Pacific region. I sincerely hope...

This very large family farm and business near Albacete, Spain was brought together to form a Limited Company with the marriage of the parents of the current part-owner and manager. The property on the paternal side of this arrangement has been within the same family for 200 years. Today the...

El boletín correspondiente a noviembre de 2014 de la Fundación Rural Economic Development Dominicana (REDDOM) desarrolla noticias atingentes a República Dominicana, relacionadas a nutrición, comité nacional del año de agricultura familiar, panel de comercio sobre frutas y vegetales, potabilización de agua y seguro de sequía.

While conflict and competition over land is a major trend in Africa, and there are allegations of ‘land grabbing’ of large areas of land from local people, usually by foreign companies, other more localised forms of competition over land are less well understood. This paper presents the case of disputes...

Article relatant les résultats d'études qui démontrent la capacité d’adaptation du mil aux variations du climat, dans les systèmes agricoles dominés par des exploitations familiales au sein desquelles des variétés cultivées présentent une forte diversité génétique.

Recurring drought and crop failure in many parts of the world have led to food and nutrition insecurity, and a dependence on food aid. But recently, some farmers in Kenya have been developing their own sustainable way to secure enough nutritious food along with extra income so that they can...

In the EU, the peasant family agriculture is the major component of agricultural production, but it remains difficult to give an exact definition. A clear reference - not exclusive and must be applied in a specific way in each country - is the economic and territorial dimension of a farm....

The International Year of Family Farming was launched as part of a global campaign to reinforce awareness and support for small scale and family farmers around the world. The move to focus on family farmers for the international year was driven by strong advocacy from civil society, mainly the World...

The Specialized Meeting on Family Farming of MERCOSUR (REAF) is a meeting place for family farmers, rural organizations and institutions in the region, operating since 2004 with the aim of creating a framework of regional public policies for family farming. It is recognized as one of the most dynamic areas of...

Ireland’s family farming heritage holds crucial elements of rural sustainability – established networks of social support; cultural traditions resourcing ethno-industries such as tourism and  draft; and localised human-ecological knowledge important for environmental custodianship. The ‘small, not multinational’ symbolic value of family farming is strategically used to authenticate the ‘brand-centred, consumer...

Family farms are central to both contemporary changes and contradictions in agriculture. They have been, and are still, the crucible for a whole host of agricultural innovations and major revolutions. They form the social basis of most Southern countries and contribute to supplying their local, national and international markets. Paradoxically,...

The right to food sovereignty is a part of the Plurinational State of Bolivia’s constitution, but what does this actually mean for family farmers? The truth is that many people in rural areas are far from having access to adequate food and nutrition, with 37% of children under five reported...

The International Year of Family Farming was launched as part of a global campaign to reinforce awareness and support for small scale and family farmers around the world. The move to focus on family farmers for the international year was driven by strong advocacy from civil society, mainly the World...

This technical guide has been prepared under the direction of Francesca Romano in collaboration with a team from the Forest Peoples Programme and Samuel Nguiffo of the Centre pour l’Environnement et le Développement (CED) in Cameroon. The guide was written by Marcus Colchester and Sophie Chao, with contributions from participants...

Face à l’arrivée d’investisseurs  dans le périmètre irrigué de l’Office du Niger (Mali), la recherche-action menée par l’UMR G-EAU avec comme objectifs : d'analyser et comparer les pratiques foncières des exploitants familiaux et des investisseurs ; d'accompagner les acteurs dans l’identification des enjeux à long terme et l’anticipation des conséquences des nouvelles attributions foncières...

Food fairs are an important tool and space to promote food sovereignty as they take place in local public spaces and within people’s own socio-cultural settings. One excellent example was a food fair in Ghana, organised by the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD). Women farmers exhibited traditional...

La ENEI 2-2014 tiene como principal objetivo obtener información estadística sobre variables de empleo, desempleo, subempleo y actividad e inactividad económica de la población. En lo que respecta a los ingresos, se captó información sobre formas, fuentes, montos, beneficios sociales y laborales, ayudas en especie y dinero, e ingresos no...

Keogh's Farm is a family owned and run potato growing and crisping business based in North County Dublin.  Our family have been growing delicious Irish potatoes in this area for over 100 years and now we are hand cooking Ireland’s finest crisps in small batches right here on our farm