Out of the 2.5 billion people in poor countries living directly from the food and agriculture sector, 1.5 billion people live in smallholder households, of which many are extremely poor, according to FAO.
Under the right conditions and with supportive policies, family farmers have proven to be innovative, productive and resilient, especially if they are supported to use agro-ecological practices that are based on their own resources and priorities. This makes family farmers key players in tackling the pressing issues of our time, such as hunger, climate change and biodiversity loss.
