To celebrate World Food Day 2014, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and The National Geographic Society are organizing an event on 22 October 2014, 12:00-3:00pm, at the National Geographic Auditorium, 1145 17th Street NW, Washington D.C.
The event “Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth – Family Farming in the 21st Century” will bring together policy makers, opinion leaders, family farmers and business executives, to explore the role of smallholder farms in the U.S. and around the world. It will feature Prof. Sanjaya Rajaram, 2014 World Food Prize Laureate, as one of the key-note speakers. The event is open to partners and interested public, and we hope you will be able to participate in this important discussion. For those unable to attend in person, webstreaming will be offered.
Why Family Farming on World Food Day
Family farming includes all family-based agricultural, forestry, fisheries and livestock activities, and it is linked to several areas of rural development. Both in developing and developed countries, family farming is the predominant form of agriculture in the food production sector. There are over 500 million family farms in the world, representing 98% of farm holdings. Their rural activities are managed and operated by a family and rely predominantly on family labor.
Focusing on family farming will help a) eradicate hunger, b) protect the environment and c) contribute to sustainable economic development.
To read more about the event and see the program, click here.