UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced the year 2014 as ‘Family Farming Year’. October 16, the foundation anniversary of FAO is celebrated as the World Food Day with a different theme each year. This year, the theme of World Food Day was specified as “Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth”.
In the message given to the world through the theme “Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth” on this year’s World Food Day, on one hand small-scaled “Family Farming” and productions are promoted and on the other hand it is aimed to eliminate hunger and poverty. With the project, attention drawn to the fact that it is possible to make contributions to the significant issues such as providing food safety, conservation of food nutritional values in the food, management of natural resources, prevention of wastage, environmental protection and, especially in rural areas, sustainable development, etc.
It is known that Family Farming is one of the most active elements of the food production sector both in developed and developing countries. Family Farming model contributes to the realization of sustainable healthy food production and to the improvement of many ecological system services. Today, 96-97% of the agricultural enterprises in the U.S. and EU are family enterprises. They owe their success in agricultural production and export to those family enterprises. Family enterprises have a quite important position also in the agricultural activities of our country and they must be supported and continued as a model for sustainable agriculture.
By virtue of October 16, the World Food Day, we wish a world where the public awareness about family farming is improved, the potential of family farming is better understood, all people live in peace and nutrition and accommodation is not a problem.
