News

Mountain Partnership project highlighted at The World Farmers Markets Coalition Second General Assembly

19.07.2024

On 12 July 2024, industry leaders, agriculture experts and farmers gathered from around the world for an event focused on leveraging partnerships to enhance local food systems. The event featured a series of roundtable discussions aimed at identifying and forging new alliances.

The first roundtable discussion explored the challenges and opportunities of practical partnerships between organizations and their cities and municipalities. Speakers included Grace Githiri from UN Habitat, Anne Trevenen-Jones from the Food Systems Governance Programme-Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and Kurt Wheeler from Project for Public Space. They highlighted the importance of understanding, inclusivity and mutual respect in linking urban and rural areas and bridging academia and policy. Furthermore, markets are highly context specific, so solutions and strategies must be tailored to local needs.

The second roundtable discussion focused on cooperation for rural development, featuring Federico Mattei from the Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Daniel Anavitarte from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and Enrico Azzone from International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) Bari. The speakers underscored the need for local engagement and strong community commitment. Markets were presented as hubs for knowledge exchange not only between producers and consumers, but also between producers and producers.

Federico Mattei, MPS, introduced the Business Incubator and Accelerator for Mountains and Islands, a grant supporting innovative entrepreneurship in agricultural and textile value chains to boost the resilience of mountain and island communities. He stressed the importance of partnerships, both institutional and within the supply chain. By connecting stakeholders from civil society, producers and private sector actors, such collaborations can significantly enhance product value.

The third and final roundtable discussion centred on youth engagement in preserving biodiversity. Speakers included agriculture and market professionals from Australia, Peru and Uganda. They discussed how involving diverse populations in value chains benefits everyone. They addressed the common perception that farming is an undesirable profession, especially by young people, and outlined strategies for involving youth in agriculture and markets.

Throughout the event, lively question and answer sessions fostered engagement and helped build new connections among participants. The discussions underscored the importance of strong partnerships and collaboration, emphasizing the need to consider the specific context of individual markets. By fostering cooperation and innovation, partnerships have the potential to create more resilient and sustainable agricultural communities.

The World Farmers Markets Coalition Second General Assembly, held in Rome on 12 and 13 July 2024, focused on food and wine products threatened by climate change. The World Farmers Markets Coalition is an association that brings together farmers’ markets worldwide, providing a platform for shared learning and collaboration.

Photo by Julie Cheek