The FAO Representation in the
Islamic Republic of Iran together with the Iranian Ministry of
Jihad-e-Agriculture celebrated the World Food Day 2014 theme "Family
Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth" in Tehran today to raise
the profile of smallholder farmers in the country and acknowledge their
potential to promote more productive and sustainable food systems.
His Excellency Mr. Mahmoud
Hojjati, Iran's Minister for Jihad-e-Agriculture, together with several Deputy
Ministers from the Ministry, the UN Resident Coordinator, Ambassadors, Heads of
missions and Representatives from international organizations, and a wide range
of experts and academics from the country's public and private sectors attended
the ceremony.
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Mr José Graziano da Silva's, FAO
Director-General, video message on the occasion of the World Food Day was aired
during the ceremony and Mr. Serge Nakouzi, FAO Representative to the Islamic
Republic of Iran, presented a statement outlining the significance of the
contribution to be made by family farmers as part of the shift in paradigm
required to address the scourges of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty
whilst safeguarding existing resources in the face of increasingly challenging
environmental conditions.
The full text of his statements
reads:
Honorable Minister,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Ambassadors and Representatives,
Esteemed colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour for me to
participate with all of you in today's ceremony of the World Food Day not only
to commemorate the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, but also to reflect on this occasion on the scourges of hunger,
food insecurity and poverty that we continue to face in the world
notwithstanding the past effort of the global community to eradicate these
blights.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Recent hunger estimates reveal
that over 800 million people still suffer from chronic hunger. More than half
of the world´s population suffers from some form of malnutrition such as
under-nutrition, micronutrient deficiencies or obesity. There is an unequivocal
need to increase food production by over 60 percent to meet the expected demand
from a global population projected to reach over 9 billion in 2050. Despite the
fact that the per capita food availability has increased by over 40 percent
during the past four decades and FAO is proud to have played a key role in this
notable achievement, we still need to increase food production, especially in
poor and developing countries. However, this should be done in a more
sustainable manner. The approaches from the past have shown their limits. We
can no longer rely only on an input-intensive model to increase food
production. We need a paradigm shift towards healthier and more sustainable
food systems. We need to use less agricultural inputs, especially water and
chemicals, in order to put agriculture, forestry and fisheries on a more
sustainable and productive long-term path. We need to save and grow. This shift
in paradigm is critical if we are to win the war against hunger and food
insecurity. Yet its success will depend also in great part on our ability to
pursue a more holistic approach that embraces social participation and
advocates the significant contribution made by family farmers in this endeavour.
Accordingly, the 2014 World Food
Day theme – "Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth"
- has been chosen to raise the profile of smallholder farmers. It focuses world
attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and
poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing
natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable
development, in particular in rural areas.
Family farming includes all
family-based agricultural activities, and it is linked to several areas of
rural development. It is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry,
fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by
a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, including both that of
women and men. Family farming has an important socio-economic, environmental
and cultural role. Family farmers manage their lands in a manner to sustain
remarkably high levels of productivity despite having less access to productive
resources such as agricultural inputs and support.
The UN General Assembly has
designated 2014 "International Year of Family Farming." In this
context, FAO in collaboration with its partners, is facilitating the
implementation of the year with
the following four objectives:
1. Support the development of agricultural, environmental and social policies
conducive to sustainable family farming;
2. Increase knowledge, communication and public awareness;
3. Attain better understanding of family farming needs, potential and
constraints and ensure technical support; and,
4. Create synergies for sustainability.
The designation of this
International Year by the UN sends a strong signal that the international
community recognizes the important contribution of family farmers to world food
security. There are over 500 million family farms in the world which comprise a
wide range of smallholders and medium scale farmers, as well as indigenous
people, traditional communities, fisherfolk and pastoralists. In many regions,
they are the main producers of the foodstuff consumed every day in our meals.
Family Farmers run
crop-diversification based agricultural systems and preserve traditional food
products, contributing both to a balanced diet and to the safeguarding of the
world's agro-biodiversity.
They are embedded in territorial networks and local cultures, and spend their
incomes mostly within local and regional markets, generating many agricultural
and non-agricultural jobs. Local production and consumption circuits based on
family farming have a major part to play in fighting hunger especially when
linked to social protection policies that address the needs of vulnerable
people. All of these characteristics highlight that family farmers hold a
unique potential to move towards more productive and sustainable food systems
if policy environments support them in this path.
Over 70 percent of the world's
food insecure population lives in rural areas of Africa, Asia, Latin America
and the Near East. Many of them are family farmers, especially smallholders,
with poor access to natural resources, policies and technologies. There is
overwhelming evidence that poor family farmers can quickly deploy their
productivity potential if the appropriate policy environment is effectively put
in place. Access is the major barrier to food security today. Facilitating
access to land, water and other natural resources and implementing specific
public policies for family farmers (credit, technical assistance, insurance,
market access, public purchases, and appropriate technologies) are key
components for increasing agricultural productivity, eradicating poverty and
achieving world food security.
Agro-ecology and climate-smart
agriculture provide alternative viable options to sustainably increase food
production, whilst addressing climate change, and build resilience, benefitting
small-scale and family farmers in particular. Our passion should drive us to
find the best solutions – sustainable, accessible, and respectful of local
characteristics and context.
At national level, there are a
number of factors that are key for a successful development of family farming,
such as: agro-ecological conditions and territorial characteristics; policy
environment; access to markets; access to land and natural resources; access to
technology and extension services; access to finance; demographic, economic and
socio-cultural conditions; and, availability of specialized education among
others. Family farmers in the Islamic Republic of Iran play an important role
in the production of the strategic crops as well as other agricultural products
for domestic consumption and also export purposes. As we embark on the
formulation of the Sixth National
Five-Year Development Plan for the country, consideration could be given to the
significance of family farming for food security and nutrition, natural
resource management and local economy generation. It may be timely in this
context to revisit the role of family farmers in the value chain of
agricultural production, identify their needs and to foresee the development of
specific policies, programmes and effective strategies aimed at enhancing their
contributions in this respect.
The International Year of Family
Farming and the World Food Day of this year provide us with a clear opportunity
to further underscore the strategic role of family farmers in agricultural and
rural development and to contribute to the strengthening of their capacities.
Governments may demonstrate their political commitment building juridical
framework, institutions and policies for family farmers.
Establishing platforms for policy dialogue with family farmers' organization in
order to generate consensus, build and implement effective policies is a major
target of the International Year of Family Farming. International cooperation
can foster policy dialogue among all stakeholders and help building concrete
and sustainable solutions.
May I conclude by highlighting
once again the crucial role family farmers paly in defining the solution for a
world free from poverty and hunger. I trust we can all carry this thought with
us as we strive in our respective endeavours to achieve this noble goal.
Thank you for your attention.
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations
Islamic Republic of Iran