Networking at the EU Family Farming Conference

On the occasion of the International Year of Family Farming 2014, the European Commission organized the conference “Family Farming: A Dialogue towards More Sustainable and Resilient Farming in Europe and the World”. The conference brought together policymakers, civil society organisations and farmers’ organisations from around the world to discuss the state of affairs of family farming.  For AEFJN this event has been an opportunity to meet and to present the upcoming campaign of the moratorium on large scale land acquisitions (LSLA) to other civil society organisations and especially to farmers’ organisations. Farmer organisations shared with AEFJN the experiences and challenges of family farmers from their countries. Many farmers’ organisations consider LSLA as a threat to the very survival of family farming and many welcomed the idea of a moratorium on LSLA.

In the run-up to the conference AEFJN also acted as a facilitator for the World Rural Forum during a meeting with family farmers’ organisations. During this one-day meeting AEFJN was able to liaise with farmer organisations from across the globe on the issue of family farming. These days allowed AEFJN to expand its contacts worldwide in view of launching the campaign on the moratorium on LSLA.