In the Lisbon region which is characterized by small and fragmented farms, individual horticultural producers recognized the benefits of cooperation and invested in joint improved production capacity. The Portuguese region where the project has been implemented is dominated by horticultural production. Average holding size is very small and producers recognized the...

Rural–urban linkages connect people in cities with people in the countryside on a daily basis. The links are tangible and include markets, migration flows, knowledge exchange, leisure and tourism, ecosystem services, food production and consumption. To support sustainable, fair and resilient food systems, a supportive political and institutional environment is...

L’agriculture familiale est la forme d’agriculture majoritaire sur la planète. Sur 570millions d’exploitations agricoles dans le monde, 500millions sont des exploitations familiales et assurent plus de la moitié de la production agricole mondiale!

Renewed attention has recently been given to the importance (and the position) of small-scale family farms through the International Year of Family Farms (IYFF). However, public policies are deficient, investments are lacking, and many of the 500 million smallholder farmers receive little to no support. Standard typologies that distinguish “commercial...

Lecture: "Sustainable Farming through Agroecology" by Stephen Gliessman with Mark Bittman

Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Eng. Ahmad al-Qadri said work with FAO will focus on promoting future cooperation between both sides through setting joint programs targeting agricultural sector in Syria to achieve positive outcomes. During a meeting with UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Assistant Director-General for North Africa and...

La Agricultura Familiar Campesina (AFC) ha demostrado ser clave para avanzar hacia sistemas alimentarios más sustentables y saludables, en la región y el mundo, lo cual ha elevado su protagonismo en lo más reciente, al punto que FAO declaró el 2014 como Año Internacional de la Agricultura Familiar. La AFC...

The present guidelines will promote specific policies for family farming, will take a rights-based approach and will respect the Guiding Principles of equality, comprehensiveness, social participation, transparency, environmental sustainability, consistency and multiculturalism.   

El Encuentro es un espacio para intercambiar experiencias, reflexionar sobre lecciones aprendidas y debatir sobre qué hacer para fortalecer las organizaciones cooperativas. La agricultura familiar es uno de los actores clave de este tipo de organización empresarial y, por tanto, está integrada en estas reflexiones. Participan cooperativistas del sector agropecuario...

UCAR - MAGyP: El 2014 fue el Año Internacional de la Agricultura Familiar. En Argentina el 75% de las explotaciones agropecuarias son a través de la agricultura familiar, generando el 64% del empleo en el sector agropecuario.

Los efectos del cambio climático inciden cada vez más de forma negativa en la vida de las familias de las zonas semiáridas del país. Las lluvias escasas y la época de seca prolongada se convierten en un problema para las familias del área rural, resultando en dificultades para acceder al...

On October 16, World Food Day was observed. The theme for this year’s observances was ‘Social Protection and Agriculture’. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the choice of topic aims to highlight the role social protection plays in reducing chronic food insecurity and...

El Instituto de Provisión de Alimentos (Proalimentos), entidad adscrita al Ministerio de Agricultura, Ganadería, Acuacultura y Pesca (MAGAP), benefició a 108 familias productoras con la compra de 1.002.536,25 unidades de naranja, por 80.202,84 dólares. Los pequeños productores de los cantones Flavio Alfaro, Junín, Santa Ana, Jipijapa y Bolívar entregarán 13.367,15 gavetas con...

The definition of family farm varies across countries and contexts. We reviewed 36 definitions and uses of the term “family farm” by academics, government and civil society organisations that describe the characteristics that make family farms unique. After reviewing these concepts we conclude that the majority of definitions recognize the...

This research report is the first piece of research being conducted in Zimbabwe by the African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB). It follows on from initial engagements with Zimbabwean civil society organisations (CSOs) regarding seed policy and is a preliminary scan for orientation and the identification of possible areas for further...

Seed can be an important entry point for promoting productivity, nutrition and resilience among smallholder farmers. While investments have primarily focused on strengthening the formal sector, this article documents the degree to which the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition, especially in Africa. Conclusions drawn from a uniquely...

Since 1945, FAO and the Government of the Philippines have demonstrated a strong commitment to working together towards the eradication of hunger and poverty. FAO established a representation in the country in 1978 and continues to support the Government’s priorities for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and rural development, including nutrition. Recent...

En el 2015, los estudiantes de 76 escuelas de los departamentos de Ahuachapán, Sonsonate y Usulután, en El Salvador, cuentan con un refuerzo en su refrigerio escolar a partir de la compra de frutas y hortalizas de productores locales.  Entre los productos que se adquieren están: plátano, tomate, cebolla, yuca, banana,...

The diversity of agriculture in the world reflects the immense variety of societies and natural environments on the planet. Indeed, agricultural systems range from various types of shifting slash-and-burn practices – sometimes very similar to those of the first sedentary human groups – to quasi-automated agricultures in some regions of...

Forests are home to 1.3 billion people, they have to cater to the multiple needs for local goods (access to income, food, clean water, wood energy, construction materials, fertile soils, medicinal and cosmetic products, and recreation) and global goods (climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, hydrological and mineral cycles). Reconciling competing...