Deep Roots

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France: support for family farming

– quality rooted in territory

Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry, France

griculture varies across the world, reflecting the

natural environments in which farmers operate.

Farms are the result of each country and the agrar-

ian, cultural and social history of each territory. Within this

environment, family farming is a massive phenomenon. It

represents the overwhelming majority of farmers worldwide

in terms of food production and employment: 70 per cent

of global food production and 40 per cent of assets in the

world. Ironically, the majority of people experiencing food

insecurity are farmers or farm labourers.

Because family farming is the largest producer of food in

the world, because it is the world’s biggest employer, and

because the majority of people who suffer from hunger are

family farmers, for France, support for family farming is the

way to contribute directly to food security. Indeed, family

farmers are a pillar of the global economy. The jobs created

by family farming are the first defence against hunger and

poverty, and are pivotal in the dynamics of economic growth

and regional development.

Recent food crises have shown an increased interest in specu-

lative land capital and agricultural commodities. This increased

competition, combined with low recognition in policies of the

central role of family farms, undermines their development and

contributes to the movement of farmers to the cities. For food

security reasons, but also to balance the territories, it is impor-

tant that public policies establish favourable and appropriate

economic and institutional legal frameworks to secure access to

land, credit, markets and training for family farmers.

The United Nations proclamation of 2014 as the

International Year of Family Farming provides an opportu-

nity to promote family farms as part of the solution to the food

challenge, the challenge of the fight against poverty, and the

challenge of sustainability. Through its policies and history,

France has developed its agriculture on the model of family

farming. It is fully mobilized in its international advocacy, on

Family farmers are pivotal in the dynamics of economic growth and regional development

Image: Xavier Remongin/Min.Agri.Fr

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