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FAO and WFO to help farmers drive global agricultural agenda

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• 2018-12-16
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New agreement to build family farmers’ technical and advocacy capacities

A Kenyan farmer at work.
14 December 2018, Rome – The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today reaffirmed their commitment to help farmers become the drivers of the global agricultural agenda.

The new FAO-WFO agreement will focus on supporting and promoting the key role that farmers and their organizations play in efficient, inclusive and sustainable agriculture and food systems; reducing rural poverty; reaching food and nutrition security; and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It will do so by building farmers’ capacity to lead decision-making processes on agricultural policies at all levels, based on best sustainable agricultural practices that farmers are already applying.

“This agreement will help build a farmers-driven agricultural agenda to bolster global Zero Hunger efforts, and better support the interests of millions of farmers worldwide. Farmers can bring a range of innovative solutions to the complex challenges we face today,” said Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources.

“We, as farmers, rely very much on the support of FAO for the creation of a global political environment in agriculture, which is favourable to our farming systems, our families and our communities. As economic actors, our expectation is to increase productivity, tackling climate change, and contribute to global sustainable development. We are ready to do our part and we are deeply grateful to organizations like FAO that support us in this ambitious agenda,” said Theo De Jager, WFO President.

The agreement will support joint initiatives aimed at:

strengthening collaboration on tackling climate change, responsible management of natural resources, sustainable livestock production, and safe and effective use of antimicrobials;
enhancing the capacities of farmers’ organizations that are inclusive of women and youth to deliver quality services to their members;
increasing farmers’ technical capacity and sharing of practical, workable solutions on climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable agriculture and responsible natural resource management;
enhancing farmers’ advocacy capacity and impact on global political dialogues on agriculture;
supporting family farmers and their organizations to have better access to markets and services; and implement guidelines and principles such as Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT), Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) and Small-scale Fisheries (VG-SSF).
FAO and WFO have a strong history of collaboration, and share common goals to support sustainable agricultural development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and food and nutrition security.

FAO and WFO are also working closely together for the preparation and implementation of the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028).

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