Submitted by Dijana Maric on Tue, 26/11/2013 - 13:10
UN launches International Year to spotlight role of family farms in reducing hunger, poverty
On 22 November, The United Nations launched the International Year of Family Farming (2014) in an effort to highlight the potential family farmers have to eradicate hunger, preserve natural resources and promote sustainable development.
There are an estimated 500 million family farms – those that rely primarily on family members for labour and management – across the developed and developing world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
These farms produce the food that feeds billions of people, the agency noted in a news release, adding that in many developing countries, family farms represent up to 80 per cent of all farm holdings.