sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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9. Farmers
Rural households, indigenous peoples and their communities, and farmers, a large proportion of whom are
women, are the stewards of many of the planet’s resources. For this reason, Agenda 21, chapter 32, states
that a farmer-centred approach is the key to the attainment of agricultural sustainability in both developed
and developing countries, and many of the programme areas in Agenda 21 address this objective.
In <strong>20</strong>10, rural inhabitants accounted for approximately 19% of the total population in the region.
Of this group, between 11% and 33% work in agriculture (ECLAC/FAO/IICA, <strong>20</strong>11). They are the
people most directly affected by poor management of water resources and land. A lack of financial
resources, coupled with remoteness from urban centres, where legal institutions, training centres and
institutions offering technical and financial support are based, often mean that programmes are not
effective. The challenges facing farmers in the region include proper access to education, technical
training and financial support; access to new production technologies that are compatible with human and
material <strong>development</strong>; <strong>sustainable</strong> use of natural resources, aquifers and the environment; and the need to
take a <strong>sustainable</strong> approach to boosting productivity. Retaining and incorporating young people into
farming was also identified as a major challenge for the region.
A remaining challenge for the region is to ensure that public agricultural policies take family
farming into consideration. Family farming accounts for a large share of agricultural output in every country
in the region. In Nicaragua, it makes up 67% of the value of agricultural output; in Ecuador, 45%; in
Colombia, 41%; in Mexico, 39%; in Brazil, 38%; and in Chile, 27% (IDB/FAO, <strong>20</strong>07). In some countries,
family farms account for a large share of all farms. In Nicaragua, family farmers run 98% of all farms; in
Ecuador, 88%; in Chile and Colombia, 87%; in Brazil, 85%; and in Mexico, 78% (see figure III.2).
Figure III.2
LATIN AMERICA (SELECTED COUNTRIES): FAMILY FARMING AS A SHARE OF THE VALUE
OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND AS A SHARE OF ALL FARMS
(Percentages)
1<strong>20</strong>
100
80
60
40
<strong>20</strong>
0
Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Mexico Nicaragua
Share of all farms in the sector
Share of all farms
Source: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Políticas
para la agricultura familiar en América Latina y el Caribe, Santiago, Chile, <strong>20</strong>07.