SDG Knowledge Hub/Stefan Jungcurt: FAO and partners have launched a global knowledge platform to support Farmer Field Schools

SDG Knowledge Hub
A project by IISD

Stefan Jungcurt Ph.D.
Content Editor for Agriculture, Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Energy (Germany)
22 February 2018
share this

FAO and Partners Launch Global Platform for Farmer Field Schools
Peter Luethi, Biovision Foundation
story highlights

FAO and partners have launched a global knowledge platform to support Farmer Field Schools.

Farmer Field Schools are an effective tool for sustainable agricultural development and for achieving the SDGs as they enable smallholder farmers to address local problems and provide them with critical information and decision making tools.

Through the Platform, FAO and partners aim to support rapid expansion of Farmer Field Schools to contribute to the SDGs and address impacts of climate change.

14 February 2018: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has launched the Global Farmer Field School Knowledge Platform to support exchange of information and access to best practice and specific expertise for Farmer Field Schools (FFS) around the world.

Initially developed in Asia in the 1980’s as a community-driven approach to agricultural training and education, FFS have become a successful tool to enable smallholder farmers to find sustainable solutions to complex challenges of agriculture. An FFS is a group of up to 30 people meeting regularly to identify common problems and work jointly to develop solutions for their agricultural production areas. The global platform set up by FAO and 15 international partners aims to support sustainable agricultural practices by improving the quality of FFS. The platform includes an online library of resources, a roster of experts and tools to support exchange best practices of successful FFS.

FFS allow farmers to find locally-adapted solutions to specific problems, such as crop diseases, climate change impacts, soil, land and water management, or disaster risk reduction. FFS also have benefits for social inclusion, gender equality and community empowerment as they promote access to critical information, analysis and tools for decision making, and improve framers’ access to markets and the development of sustainable value chains. The impact on agricultural productivity further helps to improve nutrition and the sustainable management of natural resources.

FAO has developed an FFS Guidance Document on the process and decisions necessary to establish a successful FFS programme in the context of local conditions. The publication emphasizes that FFS are one of FAO’s fundamental field contributions to achieve the SDGs noting their suitability to empower smallholder farmers to make their own contributions to the SDGs. [FAO Press Release] [Global Farmer Field School Platform] [FFS Guidance Document] [FFS Fact Sheet]
SDGs
2. Zero Hunger
Issues
Biodiversity, Water & Sanitation, Health, Sustainable Use, Gender, Sustainable Use, SLM, Agriculture & Food Security, Forests & REDD, Land, Human Settlements & Population, Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation
Global Partnerships
Means of Implementation, Capacity Building & Education
Actors
FAO, UN Programme, Agency or Fund
Actions
Publication, Announcement / Statement
Regions
Asia
share this
related posts
5 SDGs
UN Biodiversity Conference Highlights Links between Agriculture and Biodiversity
19 December 2016 | Stefan Jungcurt Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
5 SDGs
Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update: UNFCCC, NATO, FAO Advance Work on Adaptation
1 June 2017 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
5 SDGs
Forests and Landscape Restoration Feature at UN Biodiversity Conference
19 December 2016 | Leila Mead, SDG Knowledge Hub
6 SDGs
UN Biodiversity Conference Advances Discussions on Resource Mobilization, EBSAs, Synthetic Biology
7 December 2016 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
5 SDGs
FAO Launches Guidelines on Urban Forests
31 October 2016 | Elsa Tsioumani, LL.M, SDG Knowledge Hub
7 SDGs
Adaptation and Loss and Damage Update: Regions Step up DRR Efforts and Resilience to El Niño, Human Mobility, Climate Change and Development Nexus Ex...
30 June 2016 | Elena Kosolapova, Ph.D., SDG Knowledge Hub
Newsletter

The SDG Update compiles the news, commentary and upcoming events that are published on the SDG Knowledge Hub each day, delivering information on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to your inbox.
Sign up

    NEWS
    GUEST ARTICLES
    POLICY BRIEFS
    GENERATION 2030
    SEARCH

    EVENTS
    ACTORS
    REGIONS
    SDGs

    ABOUT
    CONTACT
    HELP & FAQ
    follow us:

A project by:
Designed by:
Funding
provided by:

© 1990-2018, IISD. Excerpts may only be used with appropriate academic citation and a link back to the corresponding article/page used.

    NEWS
    GUEST ARTICLES
    POLICY BRIEFS
    GENERATION 2030
    EVENTS
    ACTORS
    REGIONS
    SDGs
    SEARCH