Proposal of the World Rural Forum - WRF - Network to promote the International Year of Family Farming - IYFF

Family Farming

Much more than an agrarian economic model

•It is the base on which many Rural Communities develop in many parts of the world.

•1.500 million people are involved in this activity.•Economic, social, cultural, environmental, land and food security functions.•A fundamental pillar of the integral development of all nations.

Many years of lack of interest on agriculture issues, in the development strategies

Progressive deterioration in farming income.

Disappearance of many family farms.

Migration to the cities.

-> The world rural population:

86% in 1900

52% in 2001

The governments of a great number of countries are not really supporting the rural sector Makes true rural development impossible.

WRF has a basic objective from the beginning: Guarantee the existence of an efficient and sustainable family agriculture to obtain a generalised and just development model at world level.

Food and price crisis: changing point

Interest arises on Agriculture issues at World level

Jacques Diouf, the General Director of (FAO), “the time has come to re-launch farming, and the international Community should not squander the opportunity”.

“The confrontation because of the lack of food and the consequent rise in international prices require strategies such as the strengthening of family agriculture”. FAO

The International Evaluation of Knowledge, Science and Technology in Agricultural Development (IAASTD) points out:

“in agriculture, the current dominant focus, industrial on a grand scale, is not sustainable for it depends on cheap petroleum, produces negative effects on the ecosystem and worsens the growing lack of water”.

The effect of family farming on the world food supply and on rural development is underestimated.

The decisions about the policies that affect it are taken far from its reality and its voice, on many occasions, is ignored.

Important to take into account this opportunity to address the efforts towards an objective of a Global Development in Solidarity

To create real hope of progress and quality of rural life demands of the Community of Nations an initiative of great significance in its favour.

-> The official declaration by the United Nations of an International Year of Family Farming.

An International Year of Family Farming

To develop means, which would assure in the medium and long term, a prosperous and sustainable development of Family agriculture.

To promote agreement among the authorities, countrymen and women, their rural associations as legitimate representatives, and other entities.

For the development of millions of people and over all people from developing countries.

To give a boost to its potential and development.

A unique opportunity:

Challenges:• Access to resources and production inputs,

• Aging and the migration to cities,

• Scarce incorporation of young,

• Recognition of the role of women in agriculture,

• Lack of participation of small farmers in the making of decisions and policies,

• Volatility of prices,

• Inclemency of the weather,

• Lack of services of marketing, extension, information, capacity building, credit, finance,

• Unfair competition due to subsidised imports,

• Lack of access to education and health.

The focal point of the International Year we are proposing is based on:

A positive and dynamic approach, demonstrating to civil society and its institutions, not only the challenges and difficulties of family farming, but also its great contribution, real and potential, to the world’s food, to the fight against poverty and to the fulfilling of the Millennium Development Goals.

Objectives

• To promote active policies in favour of the sustainable FF by means of adopting concrete and operative means and strategies, making financial allocation,

• To strengthen the legitimacy of rural associations to represent the interests of FF and to be listened-to and associated with the making of farming policies,

• To increase the awareness on civil society and social agents of the decisive role of family farming,

• To achieve recognition of the role of women in family farming and their specific rights,

Objectives

• To reduce/minimise the migration of small agrarian producers to the cities,

• To advocate and defend the international commerce of food products based on the rules that encourage development and food security in all countries,

• To promote the research linked to sustainable rural development, endowed with the necessary human and financial resources.

Foreseeable results … 1. Outstanding recognition of the UN,

governments and civil society, of the function of family farming,

2. The creation, enlargement or strengthening of national and international platforms to develop policies and strategies to defend family farming,

3. The approval of budgets aimed to providing better and greater infrastructures and services in rural areas,

4. Greater social and political recognition of farmer’s organisations as essential partners,

5. Progressive recognition of the status of rural women and the creation of supporting tools as investment, credit, ownership, etc.

… Foreseeable results

6. Increase in rural employment, especially among young people of both genders,

7. Technical and economic boost to agrarian research in aspects that deal with the strengthening of FF,

8. Increase in the training programmes,

9. Increase in social awareness about the importance of family farming,

10. Increase communication at world, regional and national level that foments the will, on the part of urban society, to encourage the rural areas and FF.

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIESUntil June 2009

1. - Getting others agencies support to IYFF.

2. - Giving advice and suggestions to the agencies involved in the IYFF Campaign.

3. - Approaching governments.4. - Meetings with the FAO and the IFAD,

Rome.5. - Preparation of the visit to the UN

quarters and of the documents to be presented.

June 2009• Official introduction of the IYFF request.

International Year of Family Farming

LET US WORK AND GO AHEAD TOGETHER!

Thank You!