We invite bodies from all five continents to join the campaign to have a Decade on Family Farming declared.
In order to continue the advances on Family Farming achieved in 2014 during the International Year of Family Farming, we now invite farming organizations, other civil society organizations, governments, research centres, universities, international organizations and cooperatives, etc. from all over the world to support the campaign to have a Decade on Family Farming declared. To do so, please sign the letter of support using the form below.
Signatures received will greatly help to get the United Nations General Assembly to declare a Decade on Family Farming.
The main objective of the Decade is to continue the progress already achieved in 2014 on having Family Farming recognized in social, political and legal terms. That means continuing to improve public policies on Family Faming and increasing the level of implementation.
Family Farming is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, pastoral, fisheries and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, both women’s and men’s. The family and the farm are linked, they evolve together and they combine economic, environmental, reproductive, social and cultural functions.
With the proper enabling environment, family farming can ensure a dignified life for peasant families, indigenous communities, fishers and pastoralists, and can also meet consumers’ needs more appropriately and more effectively, thereby helping to stem possible future food crises. In fact, family farms produce more than 80% of the world’s food in terms of value, thus confirming family farming’s vital importance for global food security and food sovereignty for present and future generations. Family farming is also a major ally in combating climate change and achieving the sustainable development goals.
THE GOVERNMENT OF COSTA RICA WILL TAKE THE LEAD IN MAKING THE PROPOSAL
The government of Costa Rica will take the lead in requesting the United Nations General Assembly to extend IYFF 2014 by declaring a Decade on Family Farming.
The Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) (Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Brazil, Guinea Bissau, Macao and Timor-Leste) and the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming (REAF) (which brings together governments and civil society groups in 8 Latin American countries) have already endorsed the proposal to declare the Decade on Family Farming.
The IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) has declared decisive support for the initiative and has done significant work on promoting it. Likewise, during the civil society consultations for the 33rd FAO Regional Conference for Asia-Pacific, the 29th FAO Regional Conference in Africa and the 34th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, an explicit request was made to have a Family Farming Decade declared.
Let’s go on supporting Family Farming together, let’s go on building the future! Do join us!
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