The “Technical Exchange Cycles for Family Farming” series was created as a way to support countries in the development and implementation of tools, programs, and policies aimed at the Family Farming sector.

The sessions feature the participation of technicians and specialists from a wide range of areas relevant to the development of initiatives for family farming, including policies and programs that promote sustainable agricultural practices, access to innovative technologies, natural resource management, market access, and rural development. Additionally, all sessions promote inclusive and equitable approaches, ensuring the participation of stakeholders from diverse regions and socioeconomic backgrounds, while valuing existing intersectionalities such as gender, ethnicity, and youth.

Generational renewal represents one of the greatest challenges for the sustainability of family farming. Rural youth face systemic barriers that hinder their permanence and participation in agrifood systems, including limited economic opportunities, restricted access to land and credit, connectivity and digital literacy gaps, and the absence of differentiated public policies that recognize their needs and potential. At the same time, spaces for participation and advocacy remain limited, making it difficult for rural youth voices to be recognized as a strategic asset and as drivers of innovation and organizational capacity.

This third edition of the Technical Exchange Series proposes a three-dimensional approach to the issue, addressing: (1) digital technologies as tools for inclusion and productivity; (2) an analysis of structural  connectivity and digital access gaps in rural areas, as well as institutional mechanisms to reduce them; and (3) investment and financing instruments targeted at rural youth.

Market access must take into account family farmers’ access to infrastructure, technology, information and communication systems, and innovations tailored to enhance their productive capacity. Public procurement is a key pathway for making this connection. Through programs and policies that directly purchase from family farmers and their organizations, governments and public entities can obtain healthy, nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food, while also ensuring fair and equitable conditions for producers.

This second edition of the Technical Exchange Cycle aims to deepen dialogue and cooperation among countries by promoting the exchange of experiences on public procurement for family farming, and fostering learning, synergies, and improvements in equity and efficiency.

Implementing a Family Farming Registry system involves a range of challenges—from building political consensus to developing and deploying the necessary technology. However, various experiences have made it possible to advance in the creation of systems and mechanisms for Family Farming Registries, helping to facilitate dialogue around the dimensions involved in their establishment and implementation.

With the aim of fostering cooperation and the exchange of experiences—guided by the pillars of the Global Action Plan of the Decade and the priorities outlined in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Santiago de Chile Declaration—this dialogue space is proposed to share lessons learned and challenges faced in the development of Family Farming Registries and their connection with policies that strengthen the sector.

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