Family farmers, who are on the frontline of global efforts to fight undernourishment and other forms of malnutrition and to promote healthy eating, require stronger support amid rising hunger and obesity around the world, the President of the UN General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, said.
“In a world where one third of the food produced is lost or wasted and one third of land is used for livestock production, they are vital socioeconomic actors who can support improved livelihoods, job creation, community cohesion, and development in rural areas,” she said in remarks to over 300 participants gathered at an international dialogue co-organized by FAO and IFAD to discuss challenges and opportunities for family farming.
Espinosa noted that family farmers make an essential contribution to safeguarding agrobiodiversity and traditional knowledge, in the context of alarming warnings that nearly 1 million plants and animal species are at risk of extinction.
“From pastoralists to indigenous peoples, forest dwellers, family farmers make a crucial, crucial contribution to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development,” she said.
The meeting took place ahead of the launch of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF, 2019-2028) and a Global Action Plan to boost support for family farmers.
Original source: FAO
Published on 26 May 2019
