Farmers’ Major Group
Statement on Green Economy
Rio+20 Prep Comm May 18, 2010
By Robynne Anderson
Mister Co-Chairman,
As the planet’s primary ecosystem managers, farmers are best placed to ensure sustainable development and thereby contributing to a green economy. Farming provides multiple services to society, such as production of food, non-food products, delivery of ecosystem services and land stewardship to enhance and protect biodiversity. It also plays a key role for rural development and rural employment and contributes to economic growth and to reduce poverty and hunger in developing countries.
Sustainable agriculture is the core of the green economy, and that national farmers’ organizations should be a key partner. We welcome the discussion this morning, touching on the many challenges related to implementing sustainable agriculture – and know it will not be a one-size fits all answer.
Society and all relevant stakeholders have a shared responsibility to help and encourage farmers to face these challenges, to improve practices to become more sustainable and to ensure a fair income while remaining competitive in the market. These efforts need to be undertaken simultaneously otherwise we will have to face food security problems and compromised ecosystems.
In relation to this, we believe the Summit should look at the role agriculture can play in a leadership in implementing a green economy. Among the topics are:
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ensuring land tenure rights (particularly addressing the needs of women farmers)
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putting in place training to help farmers adopt sustainable practices that enhance biodiversity
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a knowledge-based approach
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recognizing the indigenous knowledge on conservation and resource management that farmers already possess
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creating market rewards for green practices and eco-system services
We believe the Summit should further policy coherence on these issues, drawing on the CSD-17 findings and the work of the High Level Task Force on Food Security.
We concur with our colleagues in the Indigenous Peoples that the implementation gap remains primary. Discussions of the green economy should be PART of the means to implement overarching sustainable development commitments.
Thank you Mr. Chairman
