In celebration of the 2014 InternationalYear of Family Farming (IYFF), here are 10 facts about agricultural food
production and smallholder family farming:
2. Around 1.5 billion people in the world are involved in family farming
in about 500 million small farms and that
70% of the food consumed in the world is produced by small family farms.
1. The main source of agricultural production is located in the rural
areas of the world where about 76% of the world’s rural poor depend for their
livelihood.
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| Farming families need more support to sustain food security. |
3. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is celebrating 2014 as
International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) in recognition of family farmers as
leading figures in food security and preserving the natural resources.
4. Almost half of the world’s population (6.6 Billion) eat rice.
5. Ninety percent (90%) of the world’s rice supply is produced by Asian
farmers.
6. The Philippines if running out of farmers as the average age of farmers
and fishermen is 57 years old.
7. The Filipino farmer’s average income is only P20,000.00 or less than
P2,000.00 per month and that their children don’t see farming as a lucrative
career, they prefer to migrate to the cities or go abroad to work rather that
go into farming.
8. Corn is the second most important crop in the Philippines wherein about
50% of the harvested yellow corn is used for livestock feed.
9. The sugar industry in the Philippines employs around 700,000 sugarcane
workers.
10. The Philippines is the only ASEAN member with quantitative restrictions
that regulate the entry of imported rice.
