Momentum must continue on supporting family farming, says FAO

“If we want to leave no one behind, we need to bring rural communities in to the heart of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as agents of change,” remarked Carla Mucavi, Director of FAO Liaison Office to the United Nations, during a side event on “Making way for the achievement of the International Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028” on 6 September in New York.

Organized by the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica, the event took stock of the achievements made towards promoting the growth of family farmers during the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) in 2014, while also highlighting the importance of the proposal to continue the momentum by adopting a Decade of Family Farming.

Noting the role played by FAO in coordinating the IYFF 2014, Ms. Mucavi informed that thousands of IYFF-related initiatives at local, regional and international levels fuelled a robust process of political dialogue in support of family farming among member states, UN agencies, international organisations, family farmers’ networks, civil society organizations, academia, research organisations and the private sector.

Ms. Mucavi also noted that the main policy recommendations of the IYFF were synthetized into its legacy document, which stresses the actions to be undertaken in the future in order to endorse the achieved results and to implement the recommendations arisen from the broad policy consultations that were conducted during the Year.

Juan Carlos Mendoza García, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN, echoed the value of carrying forward the momentum from the IYFF, noting that many challenges faced by Costa Rica can be effectively tackled by supporting family farming initiatives, including the promotion of family farming policies through the Costa Rican Network of Family Farming (REDCAF) as well as FAO initiatives undertaken in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in creating national strategies for food security with a social perspective and territorial development.

“We are convinced that small-scale food production, particularly family farming, provides a unique opportunity to approach the people-centred nature of the SDGs,” Mendoza said.

Auxtin Ortiz Etxeberria, Director of the World Rural Forum, informed that a number of policies were devised and implemented as a result of the IYFF and that these measures need continued support in order to benefit family farmers and provide them with an opportunity to build their own future.

Participants echoed the importance of family farming and expressed their appreciation for the initiative of Costa Rica.