Deep Roots

[

] 83

Above all, family farming involves more than one gender

(again referring to the grammar categories of male and

female) and more than one generation. Now as in the past,

family farming uses the knowledge, abilities and contri-

butions of both men and women. It also involves young

people, allowing them to grow up with respect for nature

and feeling part of it.

As its objective is to produce a harvest to feed the family,

it cultivates several species. Several varieties of each species

are usually cultivated and each variety, grown from seeds

improved using traditional methods, contains high vari-

ability within each population. This allows correspondingly

high adaptability to climatic conditions: if a species is

damaged by rain, a harvest is still produced thanks to crops

needing a lot of water; if a variety is destroyed by a parasite,

others will show they are resistant; even when the variety

is affected by some natural event, it does not completely

die but it is always possible to save a few individual plants

(which can form the basis for further genetic improvement

as these individuals have shown they can resist the adverse

event). In any case seeds obtained from the harvest are suit-

able for re-sowing and the farmer can renew resources, the

basic capital, with each harvest.

Family farming is not specialized: the production of a

traditional farm is always diversified. It involves the coex-

istence of its major focus on crops and livestock with sale

and processing activities, as well as a whole range of social

and environmental issues such as education, the protection

and maintenance of the landscape, and the defence of wild

and domestic plant and animal biodiversity.

It has numerous objectives: its main aim is not the market

but feeding the family and animals, maintaining soil fertil-

ity, creating a pleasant landscape which can attract visitors

as a result of its diversity (monocultures are not attractive

and in any case do not allow agritourism activities), provid-

ing social opportunities for the local community, as well as

for those who are not part of it.

It also has many ways of accessing the market, which is

almost always the nearest one, through direct sale at the

farm gate, local markets and collaboration with purchasing

groups. Selling in the neighbourhood also enables a link to

be maintained with local culture: those belonging to the

same culture are better able, as consumers, to judge the

quality of the product.

Last but not least, family farming involves different types

of consumers: elderly people with links to small-farming

culture, young people seeking reliable information, envi-

ronmentalists who want to be consistent in their behaviour,

food connoisseurs who know that quality starts in the fields

and, before this, in the choices that farmers make. They are

all united in their appreciation of food.

Family farming is an integrated system. Where possible

it reuses waste and by-products for other stages of produc-

tion or to start new initiatives. This means it has a reduced

impact on global resources and lowers production, as well

as environmental costs.

And when we say ‘family farming,’ we are talking about

many types of agriculture which can accommodate adjust-

ments and additions, and accept suggestions from different

cultures including industrial culture. It makes the most of

Image: Paolo Demetri

Family farming uses the knowledge, abilities and contributions of men, women and young people, who grow up with respect for nature

eep

oots