The IYFF 2014, a great opportunity to debate on key issues of agriculture, also for Europe.

Several organizations of farmers and NGOs on the continent held a meeting in Brussels, in order to strengthen the European involvement in the preparation of the International Year of Family Farming.

Several organizations of farmers and NGOs on the continent held a meeting in Brussels, on Wednesday, July 4, in order to strengthen the European involvement in the preparation of the International Year of Family Farming, AIAF 2014. During this event, in fact, the rural men and women linked to Family Farming will play the main role.

The encounter was held at the World Rural Forum’s proposal, coordinator of the preparation of the IYFF 2014, and was attended by the executive secretary of the WRF, Jose Mari Zeberio, and the advisor to the IYFF 2014, Jose Antonio Osaba.

The meeting, which included the active participation of associations from Spain, France, Belgium and Poland, confirmed the importance of Family Farming in Europe. In that vein, the IYFF 2014 stands as a great opportunity to raise the debate on key issues of European and world agriculture: since the reform of the CAP to youth’s access to agriculture, not to mention access to land, the price volatility, the quality of food and the relationship between producers and the whole society.

The meeting was held at the head office of COPA-COGECA, the European Committee of Professional Agricultural Organizations and Cooperatives. The secretary general of this organization, Pekka Pesonen, opened the meeting with a speech in which he stressed the importance of Family Farming in Europe, as well as the convenience for agricultural organizations to participate in the IYFF 2014.

The forum opened in Brussels continued with the enriching participation of Arturo Iniguez Yuste, administrator of the European Economic and Social Committee, Agriculture section. Later, an interesting meeting at the Office of Agriculture of the European Union, with Leonard Mizzi, closed the day.

The WRF values the dialogue created in Brussels as an opened door for the participation of the European civil society in the IYFF 2014, under the direction of rural women and men.