Family farmers produce almost 80% of the world’s food in value terms, dominate the agriculture sector in Africa, and are central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). In general, family farmers include peasant farmers, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, pastoralists, fishermen, mountain farmers and other groups of food producers. In Africa, family farmers feed and employ two thirds of the population and are central to a sustainable future for agriculture, eradicating hunger and poverty, achieving social cohesion, employment and sustainable use of natural resources. However, family farmers rely on traditional modes of farming with very little use of machinery and lack access to improved crop varieties, fertilizers, irrigation, and financial services to enable them to invest in modernising and intensifying their farming practices. Furthermore, they face limited access to agricultural and other innovations in the sector, which are essential for enhancing productivity, as well as coping with some of the anticipated challenges in the post COVID-19 Pandemic era. Universities and research institutions, as major components of national innovation systems, are well positioned to develop capacities of family famers and contribute to local solutions to address the current and post COVID-19 impact on family farmers. However, the support from universities and research institutions should respond to the real needs of family farmers and should complement initiatives being undertaken by national governments and development partners.
This report highlights emerging issues and action points from RUFORUM Webinar 6 on Universities and Research Institutions Supporting Family Farmers During and Post COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa held on 31st July, 2020. The Webinar was co-organized by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and RUFORUM.
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