Family farming: new opportunities for agriculture

posted by Mireille Vermeulen

Family farming offers a global solution to the rising demand for food, even while the agricultural sector is expected to be hard hit by the effects of climate change. This emerged from our jubilee conference “The Future of Family Farming" on 15 December at Nieuwspoort in The Hague, the Netherlands.

 

“Whatever the results may be of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, it is clear that next year will be decisive for climate measures in agriculture”. This said Camilla Toulmin, Director of the British research institute IIED, which focuses on opportunities for developing countries in this time of environmental change. Over 130 scientific, governmental and agricultural professionals from the Netherlands and developing countries discussed the future of family farming.

 

Family farming is not only defined by its smaller size, but even more by the fact that it is better adapted to local conditions. It is therefore able to respond more flexibly to climate change. As summed up by chairperson of the day, Bram Huijsman from Wageningen University: “Multifunctional agriculture is in tune with the local situation - this is what family farming is all about. While large-scale, industrial agriculture has largely reached the limits of growth, family farming still has a lot of potential.”

 

In addition, family farming offers new opportunities for feeding cities. In a city such as Accra, the capital of Ghana, urban agriculture sees a daily stream of fresh vegetables, fruit and animal products into the city, due to the efforts of hundreds of family farmers. “Because farmers cultivate with waste products like chicken manure as fertilizer, they kill two birds with one stone”, according to Dr Olufunke Cofie, who is researching the opportunities presented by urban agriculture at the International Water Managament Institute in Accra.

In order for family farmers to take hold of new opportunities, knowledge is crucial. According to its Director Edith van Walsum, ileia has an important role to play: “ileia now celebrates its 25th anniversary. It has grown in 25 years into an international movement that makes links between farmers and knowledge exchange from Latin America, Africa and Asia possible. By way of our seven network partners, we reach a quarter of a million male and female farmers around the world, who provide for food and the environment and oppose climate change.”

 

Begin next week we will publish more about our conference. You will also find the presentations of the speakers and a video report of the day. Keep posted!

Comments

[irir]

Using your time and free space out in the garden or yard for farming and growing your own food is a great thing. You can help the world environmentally and even save some money...

[louis vuitton]

Interesting post! There are many reasons why, but most primarily it is because social media has proven to be one of the most effective marketing tools today.

[Nurs]

there are so much opportunities in agriculture.
in fact, it is one of the most stable business in the industry if you could only know how to manage it.

[gene]

hello friends I really liked this information, a few days ago I read something similar, I would like to receive updates on this issue, as it is very interesting,thanks

[yaye]

Climate change is a problem that no country is exempt because it affects all types of production. We should all start looking for the solution

[change]

Agriculture mainly in developing countries, as stated in this blog are those most affected by them have no knowledge and resources to implement innovative techniques that can combat the adverse effect of climate change.

[Karen]

Thanks for your contributions. One thread running through your comments is the need to be innovative - we need to keep generating and using ideas like bio-intensive gardening and using every available space, to show that there can be a future for family farmers.

[Vet. Dr. A. Momin (HiT.Ag.Engr.)]

Family farming: new opportunities for agriculture though it was the ancient way sustaining human life while this modern world has declined family farming developing other sector of political-power and profit oriented business & entertainment luxury. Shame to our mankind that basic need of food, shelter & health care was been ignored bringing food crisis in non proper food distribution & agriculture technical know-how. Family farming has to return sustaining each family especially village people and those has land or free earth-space or proper distribution of unused govt./public land which may result over production of food to cover up the global food crisis or we shall be our own death that are rising from climate change, global warming and sickness like aids, cancer & others. Bangladesh Family Farming is on the run & Comilla cooperative farming association is a success to their national food growth gradually since the liberation war of 1971 and its Taka value is upper from Pakistani Rs & competitive with Indian, Russian & Chines currencies. Green-Bangladesh could be a very nice place for training in Family-Farming for 3-6 months courses in several crops, as I traveled the country criss cross Green & water land Bangladesh.

[Subash Chandra Biswas, Chairperson of ASD-Bangladesh (Association for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh).]

I support the idea and experience of IIRR as I witnessed it during my training course on Sustainanle Agriculture held in 1994 at IIRR.
However, I would like to add more to it from the experience of ASD-Bangladesh in enhancing family level food security and food sovereignty, by utilizing all potential family labours and spaces (top of the roof, trrees & its shades, ditches, base of the houses, spaces betwwen the houses, sides and upper spaces of enterance to house, ponds and its bank & slopes, shades of trellis, trees and other diversed crops on the boundary lines at different levels (on the ground, mid level, top level. Furthermore, promoting habits & consumption of local/indigenous foods, instead of fast foods.

[Luzviminda M. Palengelng]

This is a much needed information. Its unrolling the sleeves since we knew Family Farming had been the ancient livelihood of people before industrialization and before the era of convenient food production.

We here at IIRR, Asia also believe that BIG (Bio-Intensive Gardening) for household food production can be an effective strategy for food security. Collectively, with small backyard family food production contributes much to food crises and environmental issues.