Collective Action on Family Farming

The Issue

Family FarmingThis Collective Action (CA) aims to place research and innovation systems at the service of inclusive and resilient family farmers towards achieving the SDGs and is framed within the United Nations Decade for Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF). The UNDFF seeks the development of a political context conducive to the strengthening Family Farming (FF). FF-focused research should be a key component of this FF favourable environment.  

CA promotes the importance of bringing together family farmer organisations (FOs), researchers, and extension agents in integrative and participatory processes through participatory approaches, sharing existing experiences, knowledge, encompassing all relevant scientific disciplines and innovation types, including indigenous and local knowledge and community-based innovation. 

The Actions

The activities for facilitating the implementation of the Family Farming Participatory Research Action Training Network (FF-PRAT Network) will be grounded on the following main two action lines: 

1.    Disclosing the added value of participatory research through advocacy, awareness raising, and communication around participatory research family farming.

2.    Promoting participatory governance: support Family Farming Organisations’ (FFOs) advocacy in research governance spaces. 

Expected Results

Operationalizing the Collective Action will result in the implementation of a Family Farming Participatory Research Action Training Network. It will present the opportunity to hold experience-led discussions on challenges and adversities, tangible possibilities and opportunities, shared knowledge, etc. The operational program will be reflected on the following developments : 

  • Added value of participatory research is enhanced by reinforcing the advocacy, awareness raising, and communication material around family farming participatory research. 
  • Participatory governance is promoted by contributing to raise the profile of family farming organisations’ (FFOs) and to foster their advocacy in research governance spaces.
  • Enabling an open and participatory environment for family farming organizations and research centers to promote experience-led knowledge sharing engage in conversationand scale up their collaboration and about experience-led knowledge sharing. 
  • Final agreement on “Lessons learnt and recommendations of Participatory Research”.

Partners


Some of the CA members are:  

  • the main regional family farming organisations: PROPAC, Central Africa (Plateforme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d'Afrique Centrale); PIFON, Pacific Islands (Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network); ESAFF, Eastern and Southern Africa (Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers' Forum); PDRR, Central America (Programa de Diálogo Regional Rural); COPROFAM, South America (Confederación de Organizaciones de Productores Familiares del MERCOSUR); AFA, Asia (Asian Farmers Association);
  • the PROLINNOVA and AGRINOVIA research networks;
  • the GFAR research network; 
  • the World Rural Forum.