| Article Index |
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| Farmers' Seeds |
| Objectives and resulots |
| Beneficiaries |
| Data synthesis |
| All Pages |
Best practices in sustainable agriculture and Food Sovereignty: development of an inclusive approach in the fight against poverty.
The enhancement of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources is a central issue for the future of farm seeds. Both in Europe and in the South, a large number of family experiences in agriculture and small-scale cultivation contribute to the preservation of the cultivated biodiversity. Based on a vision of Food Sovereignty, these experiences are characterized by the sustainable management of natural resources, conservation and exchange of seeds, valorization of farmers’ knowledge and short chain so as to ensure social and economic efficiency in the framework of sustainable and participated rural development.
The project therefore aims at mobilizing a multi-stakeholder operative network for a proper implementation in Europe and Africa of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA,) by promoting small-scale agricultural and agro-ecological models.
Problems to solveToday, both in Europe and in the South, agriculture is facing a new global crisis involving its relationship with society and with the nature and the role of farmers in the food chain. The externalities of food production are increasingly evident, starting from pesticides to the new agenda on climate change. Two different sides of the same problem concerning global society: the quality of food (in the North) and Food Security (in the South.) Farmers are experiencing a reduction in their autonomy as it increases their dependence on agro-food system.
While the majority proposals of modernization in agriculture provide for a greater industrialization of the sector in order to deal with this transition, examples from the field show that an alternative way of farming (i.e. organic, low input and agro-ecological) is more suitable for overcoming the crisis and ensuring Food Security and Sovereignty.
