Family Farming: Saving the world’s food system?

Family farms are often seen as keys to helping surrounding communities. However, they may also be the means to alleviating global poverty. Over one billion people around the world live in extreme poverty, and millions have to go bed hungry every night. 2014 is scheduled to be the “International Year of Family Farming,” so many organizations are trying to make the world aware of the great impact family farms can have.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), along with the Food Think Tank are trying to equip family farms with the supplies they need to continue to transform agriculture and feed the world. Small agriculture can greatly reduce poverty, but family farmers are also prone to their own food insecurity. So, a balance needs to be found.

Thus, the FAO and the Food Think Tank are working together to show the world how family farming can enhance soil, safeguard water, improve health, and raise incomes, etc. With the right resources and promotion, family farms have the potential to truly feed the world as hubs of sustainable production. According to those at the FAO and Food Think Tank: “By working with family farmers to build on their knowledge in the development of sustainable agricultural practices, we can improve resilience in the food system—including resilience to climate change, food price shocks, conflict, and natural disasters.” Through the support of small, family agriculture the world’s entire food system can truly change and improve.

Check out http://foodtank.org/news/2013/08/family-farming-is-the-key-to-alleviating-hunger-and-poverty to see the FAO and the Food Think Tank’s tips for Non-Government Organizations and others so that they can better invest in family farms.

Also, take a look at http://www.familyfarmingcampaign.net/ to learn more about the International Year of Family Farming (2014).

http://foodtank.org/about

http://www.fao.org/home/en/

http://foodtank.org/news/2013/08/family-farming-is-the-key-to-alleviating-hunger-and-poverty

http://foodtank.org/news/2013/07/bringing-sustainable-agriculture-to-uganda-an-interview-with-dorcas-okello

http://www.familyfarmingcampaign.net/noticias/default.asp?id=en

Written by Stacey Terlik