Participants at the 24th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) recognized the importance of family farming in food and nutrition security, natural resource management, rural development and sustainable agriculture.
Meeting for the biannual session in Rome, Italy, from 29 September-3 October 2014, participants also discussed approaches to moving towards sustainable agriculture.
3 October 2014: Participants at the 24th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) recognized the importance of family farming in food and nutrition security, natural resource management, rural development and sustainable agriculture. Meeting for the biannual session in Rome, Italy, from 29 September-3 October 2014, participants also discussed approaches to moving towards sustainable agriculture.
COAG is one of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN’s (FAO) governing bodies, providing policy and regulatory guidance on agriculture, livestock, food safety and nutrition, natural resources management and rural development.
Addressing COAG 24, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva called for a paradigm shift on global attitudes to agriculture to move towards a more sustainable, productive long-term path for agriculture, forestry and fisheries. He recommended reducing chemical and water use, saying the world can no longer rely on input-intensive agriculture models. To meet an expected 60% increase in global food production, da Silva recommended exploring alternative approaches, such as climate smart agriculture (CSA), agro-ecology, biotechnology and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and decreasing inputs, such as water and chemicals.
In a keynote speech, Danilo Medina, President, the Dominican Republic, called for revitalizing rural areas to tackle hunger and rural poverty. He expressed support for food as a universal right, and said his country is in the process of establishing a law on this universal right. He also described his government’s “surprise visits” to rural communities to improve officials’ understanding of community needs, and encourage smallholders to establish cooperatives.
In line with the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) 2014, COAG 24 discussed the role of family farming in food and nutrition security, rural development and sustainable agriculture. Da Silva described the world’s 500 million family farmers as “an integral part of our efforts to reach sustainable food security.” [COAG 24 Website] [UN Press Release] [FAO Press Release on Opening] [FAO Director-General Statement]