Given the significant pressure that agrifood systems face due to recent decades of climate, demographic, and economic changes, one of the greatest challenges lies in ensuring food security for the population. At the local level, intermediate and small cities are expanding, incorporating into their food catchment areas the rural zones where family farmers develop their livelihoods—producing food, providing services, and generating economic opportunities within agrifood systems.
Family farming plays a key role in ensuring access to local, authentic, fresh, healthy, and seasonal products in an efficient, timely, inclusive, and sustainable manner. However, commercialization remains one of the main challenges faced by the sector. In response, it is necessary to develop public policies that promote the participation of family farming in local food supply systems, serving both urban and rural consumers. This, in turn, helps strengthen the connection between producers and consumers, contributing to the creation of more sustainable and resilient food systems.

E-learning
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Synchronous virtual course to strengthen the competitiveness of MSMEs and family farming cooperatives to take advantage of international trade opportunities (available only in Spanish) Ingresa al curso |
External Links
- Farmers' Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP)
- FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean
- UN Decade of Family Farming
- FAO Training for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Family Farming Knowledge Platform
- Program of Brazil-FAO International Cooperation
- Mesoamerica Hunger Free AMEXCID-FAO
- South-South cooperation: Digital transformation and innovation in agriculture
Contact
Luiz Beduschi
Senior Policy Officer in Territorial Development
Pedro Boareto
Project coordinator
Ricardo Rivera
Communication expert
Catalina Acosta
Technical Assistant for Implementation and Awareness-Raising
