Family farmers for sustainable food systems

Family farmers for sustainable food systems: a synthesis of reports by African farmers' regional networks on models of food production, consumption and markets.
June 2013. 43 pages

The African Regional Farmers’ Networks of West, Central and East Africa, ROPPA (Réseau des
organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest), PROPAC (Plateforme Régionale
des Organisations Paysannes d'Afrique Centrale) and EAFF (Eastern Africa Farmers’ Federation)
are actively engaged in the process of determining priorities for agricultural investment.

In 2011, they organised a workshop in Mfou, Cameroon. The results of the Mfou workshop were fed into the Regional Civil Society Consultation for Africa held in Brazzaville, Congo on 21-22 April 2012.

Studies in each region were commissioned by the networks to draw together existing information about the model of food production and consumption and domestic markets that require supporting and protecting, and hence priority for investment by family farmers themselves. This ‘Synthesis Report’ draws on these studies and is intended to strengthen the farmers’ organisations and PAFO in its interface with development partners, governments, regional bodies, including the African Union, and in its advocacy in relevant forums on agricultural investment.

This Synthesis Report is based upon the following reports:

1. Mamadou Goïta, Système de production, de transformation et de commercialisation des produits en Afrique de l’Ouest: une illustration avec le cas du mil dans la région de Sikasso au Mali. ROPPA, 2013.
2. Patrice Abessolo Amougou, Systèmes alimentaire durables dans l’Afrique de l’Ouest, de l’Est et Centrale.PROPAC, 2013.
3. Shem Mecheo, Models of production and consumption and local markets: building on the experiences of African family farmers in their struggles to realize food sovereignty. EAFF, 2013.

The report is supported by the More and Better Network and the Heidehof Foundation.
Download, here, the flyer
FamilyFarmers4SustFoodSystems_europAfrica_EN_web.pdf [1.5MB]

Background:

This report is part of the project “Awareness raising on the relations between European policies and agricultural development in Africa”, co- funded by the European Commission.

EuropAfrica – Towards Food Sovereignty is a campaign that connects African farmers’ platforms and European civil society organisations to reflect and act together on major current issues concerning food and agricultural policies, trade and development cooperation. EuropAfrica aims to raise awareness and advocate on shared issues and to promote sustainable small-scale family farming and local agri-food systems that bring consumers and producers closer together. The campaign supports the realisation of food sovereignty, i.e. the right for people and communities to define their own food and agricultural policies, both in Africa and in Europe, without impeding the food sovereignty of others.