The International Fund for Agricultural Development has committed $80 million for agricultural and rural transformation in the Philippines.
This was disclosed during the 2016 Knowledge and Learning Market-Policy Engagement seminar held last week at the BSWM Convention Hall in Quezon City.
The departments of Agrarian Reform and Agriculture and IFAD celebrated the third year of the International Year of Family Farming in the country through the seminar, to continuously promote smallholder and family farming, ensure food security and transform rural communities.
With the theme “IYFF+2: Engaging development partners towards sustainable development of smallholder/family farmers,” the IFAD gathered more than 300 leaders from farmers and fisher organizations, civil society, government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.
“In this two-day event, we will have learning sessions with various groups where they will focus on discussing opportunities, challenges and trends that affect farming families. These workshop sessions will include concepts and cases that would showcase good and innovative practices in rural development,” said IFAD country program officer Jerry Pacturan.
In 2014, the Philippines concelebrated the IYFF, seeking to promote active policies for development of agricultural systems based on farming families, indigenous groups, cooperatives and fishing families.
The conference gathered 370 leaders and representatives of farmer organizations, NGOs, academe and government agencies, and has generated 10 policy papers grouped in five key themes—asset reform, climate change and resiliency, governance, young farmers, and enterprise development.
The global celebration of the IYFF achieved remarkable results that world farmer leaders from five continents, along with rural associations, research centers, World Consultative members, IYFF 2014 National Committees and other stakeholders agreed as stated in the Manifesto of Brasilia that the global campaign for family farming be extended for 10 more years—thus the IYFF +10. PIA
In support of the decade-long campaign in favor of family farming, the IFAD organized a forum last year with a theme “IYFF +1 Partnership for Food Security, Nutrition and Climate Resiliency: Increasing Farmers Market Power.”
The conference focused on three interrelated topics – sustainable agriculture and climate resiliency, institutional purchase and farmers/fishers market and building agri-cooperatives.
This year, to help combat poverty and hunger and to address rural development issues, more than 200 leaders from stakeholder groups will share their good practices, initiatives and innovations, and review and discuss current issues, policies and programs that would promote family farming.
Pacturan said the KLM-PE wants to do the following:
Generate progress updates, review current challenges and opportunities on 2015 IYFF +1 Action Agenda;
Explore possible opportunities for programs and policies focusing on smallholder/family farmers under the new administration;
Agree on action points for 2017 that would advance the institutionalization of smallholder/family farming platform Technical Working Group; and
Draft and adopt strategic thrusts for smallholder/family farming platform for the next five years (2017-2021).
“Before the KLM-PE ends, we will present the strategic thrusts which would contain plans on sustainable agriculture for food security and nutrition, marketing empowerment and resource tenure on land, water and forestry,” Pacturan said.