This issue of Baobab ushers in 2014, the UN proclaimed Year of Family Farming. Agricultural production, conservation of biodiversity, resilience of rural communities and preservation of culture are part and parcel of stronger family farming. This issue emphasises the importance of diverse family farming across Africa, provides practical examples that are strengthening family farming and demonstrates increasing empowerment of family farmers. Articles in this issue describe innovative ways in which family farmers are being supported. For example, farmers in Kenya are receiving improved climate information as a result of the meteorological service striving to better understand farmers’ needs and to integrate indigenous knowledge into their forecasting system. Articles in this issue also describe the growth and fruits of grassroots alliances between farmers. Read about farmer-to-farmer scaling up of organic pest management practices in India and co-operation between pastoralist and arable farmers in Cameroon who are grappling with an insecure land tenure system.