Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming for Europe and Central Asia

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing the Interregional Dialogue on Family Farming for Europe and Central Asia under the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028 (UNDFF) from 22 to 23 September 2025, at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The two-day event will take place together with the Global Forum on Policy Solutions for Family Farming, held between 24-25 September 2025 in Rome. This year’s theme for the Global Forum is “Family Farming and Inclusive Rural Transformation: Solutions for Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate Change”.

The Interregional Dialogue is co-organized between FAO in Europe and Central Asia and FAO in Latin America and the Caribbean, and is aimed at fostering dialogue and exchanging experiences and good practices on family farming among government representatives, representatives of farmers’ organizations and other stakeholders from the two regions while identifying priorities and local solutions to feed into the Global Forum.

Under the auspices of the Regional Technical Platform for Family Farming, interregional dialogues were initiated by FAO in Latin America and the Caribbean with four other regions as an initiative to promote family farming and inclusive rural transformation. As part of this series, the dialogue with the Europe and Central Asia region focuses on the following topics: 

• Advancing family farmers’ access to land and natural resources in the context of climate change.
• The future of family farming: Generational renewal and young farmers’ role in advancing family farming.
• Collective action for impact: The role of family farmers’ organizations and rural institutions.
• Innovation and digital technologies for family farming.

Empowering smallholders, family farms and youth

In Europe and Central Asia, agriculture is in many countries dominated by smallholders and family farms, many of which struggle with economic viability, remaining among the poorest and most vulnerable. Nevertheless, they hold significant potential to contribute to sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. FAO supports countries in this region through the Regional Priority Programme on Empowering smallholders, family farms and youth through inclusive rural transformation, digitalization and innovation.