A Global Forum highlighting the UN’s Decade of Family Farming aimed at identifying priority policies to boost support for family farmers and agricultural development worldwide got underway on 19 September.
The world is moving backwards in its efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition, according to Qu Dongyu, FAO director-general.
The number of people facing hunger increased in 2021, and it risks rising further especially among the most vulnerable, of which almost 80% live in rural areas and are small-scale family farmers, he added.
However, family farmers can help make real progress towards ending hunger if they are the center of efforts to transform agri-food systems.
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More on transforming agri-food systems:
Improving smallholder livelihoods and resilience
Income gains in agriculture have proven to be two to four times more effective at reducing poverty than growth originating from other sectors. Increased productivity and equitable access to markets are proven ways of raising income levels and creating resilience in rice-based systems.
IRRI and Cambodia to strengthen cooperation on rice agri-food systems
Dr. Yurdi Yasmi, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Regional Representative for Southeast Asia, met with Director General Ngin Chhay of the General Directorate of Agriculture of Cambodia to discuss ongoing collaboration between Cambodia and IRRI.
Drs. Yasmi and Chhay agreed to continue strengthening the collaboration and reaffirmed the commitment to continue implementing the Cambodia-IRRI Work Plan 2020-2023 despite the challenging situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How heavy is the sky? Addressing the inequity and challenges of women in agri-food systems
Women have always played crucial roles in agri-food systems globally and continue to do so while performing equally important roles in the household and their communities.
Globally, women’s engagement is about 43% of the total workers in different types of agricultural activities. Regional differences exist due to variation in farming systems and the gender division of labor. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa 50% of agricultural workers are women. Within Asia, the sub-regional averages range from about 35% in South Asia to almost 50% in East and Southeast Asia.
