Virtual event showed ways to keep family farming alive through the pandemic

Food systems in Europe and Central Asia are under pressure by COVID-19. Food outlets and people’s mobility have been temporarily suspended, trade has been disrupted, unemployment is on the rise. Their impacts are yet to be quantified, notably in relation to smallholder agriculture that plays a pivotal role in the region. FAO organized a webinar focusing on the numerous needs and constraints of smallholders and family farms in the region, highlighting the specific challenges that are further evolving due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today’s FAO webinar provides a platform for sharing analyses and information on smallholders and family farms in the region,” said Raimund Jehle, FAO Regional Programme Leader in his opening remarks. “The discussion addresses their numerous needs and constraints, underlining the specific challenges evolving due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it also seeks opportunities that may arise for smallholder farmers, as countries learn to cope with the pandemic.”

A panel of invited guests reviewed the most salient characteristics of smallholder agriculture, the policy dimensions of family farming, and provided an overview of how food supply chains in the region have evolved since early April (based on the results of FAO’s rapid survey of key informants).

The full webinar is available on YouTube.

24 June 2020, Budapest, Hungary