FAO.org

Five hundred millions farms worldwide provide most of the food consumed in the developing world. However, farmers, in particular smallholders, are frequently marginalized from decision-making processes, depend on agriculture and lack access to markets, services, technologies and economic opportunities. This hinders their economic potential, perpetrating low productivity, poverty and hunger. Farmer to farmer exchanges can improve small producers’ organizational and technical capacities, increasing their productivity and reducing rural poverty. Farmer to farmer exchange is an example of South-South Cooperation, which provides opportunities for mutual learning among countries through sharing experience and field visits. This is an important component of the FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility, which seeks to empower rural people to access markets, technologies, information and services while achieving sustainable management of natural resources. Exchange visits are key for sharing knowledge, experience and good practices among forest and farms producers from different countries and regions involved in the programme.