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Proposal of the World Rural Forum - WRF - Network
to promote the International Year of Family
Farming - IYFF
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• Family Farming
• Much more than an agrarian economic model
• It is the base on which many Rural Communities
  develop in many parts of the world.
• 1.500 million people are involved in this
  activity.
• Economic, social, cultural, environmental, land
  and food security functions.
• A fundamental pillar of the integral development
  of all nations.

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Many years of lack of interest on agriculture
issues, in the development strategies Progressive
deterioration in farming income. Disappearance
of many family farms. Migration to the cities.
-gt The world rural population 86 in 1900 52
in 2001 The governments of a great number of
countries are not really supporting the rural
sector ?Makes true rural development impossible.
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WRF has a basic objective from the beginning
Guarantee the existence of an efficient and
sustainable family agriculture to obtain a
generalised and just development model at world
level.
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Food and price crisis changing point Interest
arises on Agriculture issues at World
level Jacques Diouf, the General Director of
(FAO), the time has come to re-launch farming,
and the international Community should not
squander the opportunity. The confrontation
because of the lack of food and the consequent
rise in international prices require strategies
such as the strengthening of family agriculture.
FAO
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The International Evaluation of Knowledge,
Science and Technology in Agricultural
Development (IAASTD) points out in
agriculture, the current dominant focus,
industrial on a grand scale, is not sustainable
for it depends on cheap petroleum, produces
negative effects on the ecosystem and worsens the
growing lack of water. The effect of family
farming on the world food supply and on rural
development is underestimated. The decisions
about the policies that affect it are taken far
from its reality and its voice, on many
occasions, is ignored.
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Important to take into account this opportunity
to address the efforts towards an objective of a
Global Development in Solidarity To create real
hope of progress and quality of rural life
demands of the Community of Nations an initiative
of great significance in its favour. -gt The
official declaration by the United Nations of an
International Year of Family Farming.
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An International Year of Family Farming
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A unique opportunity
To develop means, which would assure in the
medium and long term, a prosperous and
sustainable development of Family
agriculture. To promote agreement among the
authorities, countrymen and women, their rural
associations as legitimate representatives, and
other entities. For the development of millions
of people and over all people from developing
countries. To give a boost to its potential and
development.
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• Challenges
• Access to resources and production inputs,
• Aging and the migration to cities,
• Scarce incorporation of young,
• Recognition of the role of women in agriculture,
• Lack of participation of small farmers in the
  making of decisions and policies,
• Volatility of prices,
• Inclemency of the weather,
• Lack of services of marketing, extension,
  information, capacity building, credit, finance,
• Unfair competition due to subsidised imports,
• Lack of access to education and health.

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The focal point of the International Year we are
proposing is based on A positive and dynamic
approach, demonstrating to civil society and its
institutions, not only the challenges and
difficulties of family farming, but also its
great contribution, real and potential, to the
worlds food, to the fight against poverty and to
the fulfilling of the Millennium Development
Goals.
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• Objectives
• To promote active policies in favour of the
  sustainable FF by means of adopting concrete and
  operative means and strategies, making financial
  allocation,
• To strengthen the legitimacy of rural
  associations to represent the interests of FF and
  to be listened-to and associated with the making
  of farming policies,
• To increase the awareness on civil society and
  social agents of the decisive role of family
  farming,
• To achieve recognition of the role of women in
  family farming and their specific rights,

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• Objectives
• To reduce/minimise the migration of small
  agrarian producers to the cities,
• To advocate and defend the international
  commerce of food products based on the rules that
  encourage development and food security in all
  countries,
• To promote the research linked to sustainable
  rural development, endowed with the necessary
  human and financial resources.

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• Foreseeable results
• Outstanding recognition of the UN, governments
  and civil society, of the function of family
  farming,
• The creation, enlargement or strengthening of
  national and international platforms to develop
  policies and strategies to defend family farming,
  
• The approval of budgets aimed to providing
  better and greater infrastructures and services
  in rural areas,
• Greater social and political recognition of
  farmers organisations as essential partners,
• Progressive recognition of the status of rural
  women and the creation of supporting tools as
  investment, credit, ownership, etc.

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• Foreseeable results
• Increase in rural employment, especially among
  young people of both genders,
• Technical and economic boost to agrarian
  research in aspects that deal with the
  strengthening of FF,
• Increase in the training programmes,
• Increase in social awareness about the
  importance of family farming,
• Increase communication at world, regional and
  national level that foments the will, on the part
  of urban society, to encourage the rural areas
  and FF.

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International Year of Family Farming

• CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
• Until June 2009
• - Getting others agencies support to IYFF.
• - Giving advice and suggestions to the agencies
  involved in the IYFF Campaign.
• - Approaching governments.
• - Meetings with the FAO and the IFAD, Rome.
• - Preparation of the visit to the UN quarters and
  of the documents to be presented.
• June 2009
• Official introduction of the IYFF request.

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LET US WORK AND GO AHEAD TOGETHER!
Thank You!