Addressing participants, Joseph Brima, Assistant FAO Representative in Sierra Leone revealed that on 20th December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly in its 72nd Session proclaimed the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019 –2028 to serve as the framework for countries to develop public and investment policies to support Family Farming and in the process contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing Family Farming from a holistic perspective including enhancing their resilience for rural poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions.
The Decade of Family Farming, according to the FAO’s 72 Session, aims to recognize the importance of Family Farmers and unleash their potentials as key agents of change in transforming into more resilient and sustainable food systems and societies.
The Decade’s multiple objectives, according to Joseph Brima, can be achieved through environmental, economic and social dimension of rural development and bridge the humanitarian –development – peace nexus and their agricultural livelihood at the center.
Aiah Thorlie, Deputy Director of Agriculture, MAFFS lauded the Agriculture Ministry and FAO for their support to the engagement pointing out that Family Farms represent over 90% of all farms globally and produce 80% of the world’s food in value terms and are also key drivers of sustainable development including hunger and all forms of malnutrition.
The Decade of Family Farming, he further underscored, aims to create a conducive environment to strengthen the position and maximizes their contributions to global food security and nutrition and a healthy resilient and sustainable future.
At the end of the meeting, participants unanimously resolved to establish a National Action Plan to reach the grassroots that will produce a positive impact, that the timeframe of the decade offers an extraordinary opportunity for contributing to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in an inclusive collaboration and coherent way considering that Family Farming’s multi–dimensionality allows to comprehensively act on the SDGs.
