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Urban Agriculture: Family Farming for Food Security

Rajendra P Sharma

34th W

orld

Food Day

Observanc

e

THEME Family Farming: “Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth” to stress the vast potential family

farmers have to eradicate hunger and preserve natural resources

Kathmandu, Nepal, 2014

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) founded in 1943 during the UN Conference on Food and Agriculture

United Nations General Assembly Resolution: 35/70

Core objectives: to raise public awareness focus attention on food security disseminate information mobilize public opinion and funds in favor of the global

fight against hunger

FAO marks World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.

World Food Day was first held on 16 Oct 1981.

Family Farming is the focus of World Food Day 2014. 2

Family farming includes

all family-based agricultural activities, and it

is linked to several areas of the rural and urban

development.

Family farming 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 women and men.

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What is family farming?

Why is family farming important?

Family farming has an important socio-economic,

environmental and cultural role.

linked to world food security.

preserves traditional food products

contributes to balanced diet and safeguarding

the agro-biodiversity and sustainable use of

natural resources.

an opportunity to boost local economies4

Family Farming is the predominant

form of agriculture both in rural and

urban setting, developed and

developing countries

Family farmers are an important part

of the solution for a world free from

poverty and hunger

Family Farmers can deploy their

potential productivity when the

appropriate pro-family farming

policies and legal frameworks are

effectively put in place.

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Main messages

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Nepal: Overview of the situation

Nepal: Land locked, mountainous and least developed

26.6 million population

13th poorest country in the world

Economy: natural resources (Uneven distribution and Use)

Unemployment rates are highest among people just out of college

38.8 % of the population are either unemployed or underemployed

15-29 years young people: 6.131 million people (26.2 % of total population of which 11.4 % are out of work)

Annually 3.5 -4 hundred thousand people enter into job market, but only < 10 % absorbed in national market

SituationAgriculture: small holder, traditional and

subsistence farming

Fast growing but haphazard urbanization

58 municipality, New 72, recommended 66 and more coming up

Small towns

Market centers

Urban bound migration left rural land abandoned

Small land holding: A total of 34 lakhs people holds less than 0.5 Hector

Climate change and its impact: severe weather events

Traditional agriculture has no attraction to the youth and it is not adapting new changing socio-economic and changed climatic scenario

RESULT = Lost of its competitive edge: Food Security?

Food Security: Scenario

3 global parameters: 79/105 countries, GFSI

2012

34 districts food deficit (MoAD 2013)

2/3 suffers from food insecurity each year

Currently 3.7 million people are food

insecure

People from rural and remote areas are

dependent on external and emergency food

supply

The continued food insecurity and lack of

employment opportunities

Leading out migration of

youth !!

Food Security: policies

Agriculture Prospective Plan, 1995

National Agricultural Policy, 2004

Agribusiness Promotion Policy, 2007

10th five year plan; 11st three year plan

National Agriculture Sector Development

Priority Plan, 2011-2015

Country Investment Plan

Agriculture Development Strategy, 2015-

2035 (Upcoming)

Youth Prospective

Young people are future and future

generations of farmers

Young are adept at spreading new

habit, raising awareness and advocates

for change

To meet present growing population

and future projected population; food

security = sustainable agriculture

practices

Here comes the role of YOUTH

Sustainable Agro Practices through Family Farming

Change in food habit

Demand based production

Cash cropping

Environment friendly farming

Lease hold farming

Product diversification

Sustainable crop management practices

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Greeneries

Family Farming

Fresh Nutrien

ts

Lovely Aesthet

ic atmosp

hereLess Polluti

on

Use of free time

Free Time or Full Time ? Choice is ours !!

Income Genera

tion

Different name but same purpose!! (Family, Kitchen garden, Terrace garden,

Lease hold farming etc.)

Agricultural land reduction

Multifunctional use versus specialized use

Land abandonment versus revitalization

Systematize urban agriculture

Use of open space, home garden, roof tops, terrace etc

Rural Urban Transformations

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Today

Abandonment of rural areas

Smaller numerous multi-functional systems of activity

linked to local markets of diversified products

Fewer large agro-industrial systems of

activity linked to global markets of standardised

products

Patchworks of nucleus and plasma, clusters?

Wealth of family farms

Urban farming

Marginalization

Concentration of

production

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Revitalisation of both Rural and Urban Agro-Practice

CertaintyUncertainty

Present

Future

COMPLICATED

Cause and effect are separated in time and

space and can be researched

Analyze/Guidelines

good practic

e

The cause-effect relationship does not

repeat and is unpredictable

COMPLEX

Experiment/Principles

emergent

practice

CAHOTIC

No cause-effect

relationship can be

observed

Decide/Vision

new practice

SIMPLE

The cause-effect

relationship is repeatable

Act/rules

best practice

17Adapted from Cynefin and D. Snowden

&&

&

&

Sharing Values?

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People

goods

Well-being

profit

Sustainability

productivity

Equity

growth

Thank you very much

For feed back and sharing thoughts in future:

GPO: 21488Tel: 9841201967

rpsharma@mailcity.comTweet @ Mr_RPsharma

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