The Development Law Service

Newly published Legal Brief on Family Farming

11/04/2022

Legal frameworks are essential to anchor policy efforts for family farming into inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems. The United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) underscores the importance of family farming for achieving food security and adequate nutrition through inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems. Family farming brings benefits to rural people and territories, favouring economic and physical access to adequate food for all as well as safeguarding biodiversity and the environment. Moreover, it is paramount to coherently strengthen legislative and institutional frameworks across all the relevant policy areas of family farming to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 
 
Simon Blondeau of the Development Law Service (LEGN) and Anna Korzenszky of the Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) are the authors of this Legal Brief on Family Farming. The Brief examines concrete ways in which legislation can effectively support policy processes to advance family farming and harmonize laws and policies better. Snapshots of legislative and policy measures that reflect the multidimensionality of the issue are drawn from 17 countries covering the following areas: access to resources and opportunities; sustainability and traditions; nutrition and healthy diets; and resilience and socio-economic services. The Brief also offers specific considerations to guide the design and implementation of effective legal frameworks to support decision-makers and practitioners. 
  
This Brief – and the recently published Legal Paper 108 “Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks for Family Farming” – represent FAO’s efforts to design tools and resources in the framework of the UNDFF to assist Members to develop and implement context-specific interventions focused on the multidimensionality of family farming. Available in: