New agreement to build family farmers’ technical and advocacy capacities
A Kenyan farmer at work.
©Photo: ©FAO/Luis Tato
14 December 2018, Rome - The World Farmers' Organisation (WFO) and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today reaffirmed their commitment to help farmers become the drivers of the global agricultural agenda.
The new FAO-WFO agreement will focus on supporting and promoting the key role that farmers and their organizations play in efficient, inclusive and sustainable agriculture and food systems; reducing rural poverty; reaching food and nutrition security; and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It will do so by building farmers' capacity to lead decision-making processes on agricultural policies at all levels, based on best sustainable agricultural practices that farmers are already applying.
"This agreement will help build a farmers-driven agricultural agenda to bolster global Zero Hunger efforts, and better support the interests of millions of farmers worldwide. Farmers can bring a range of innovative solutions to the complex challenges we face today," said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources.
"We, as farmers, rely very much on the support of FAO for the creation of a global political environment in agriculture, which is favourable to our farming systems, our families and our communities. As economic actors, our expectation is to increase productivity, tackling climate change, and contribute to global sustainable development. We are ready to do our part and we are deeply grateful to organizations like FAO that support us in this ambitious agenda," said Theo De Jager, WFO President.
The agreement will support joint initiatives aimed at:
FAO and WFO have a strong history of collaboration, and share common goals to support sustainable agricultural development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and food and nutrition security.
FAO and WFO are also working closely together for the preparation and implementation of the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028).
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