The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and the International Seed Federation (ISF) recently announced their alliance to position farmers at the forefront of the movement towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient food system.
“The Climakers” initiative will be supported by ISF for the next two years. The initiative will collect and scientifically validate “on-the-ground practices by farmers to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” according to a release.
Workshops will be conducted in various regions, including Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, to grow the knowledge base, focused on farmers’ practical field experience that can be replicated and scaled up to a broader level.
“The private seed sector’s main preoccupation is to support farmers in finding the most suitable solution to the challenges they face every day,” said Michael Keller, secretary general for ISF. “Improved plant varieties that are locally adapted to farmers’ needs enable them to harvest better yields amidst the pressure of climate change and limited resources. The seed sector can only succeed if the relationship with the farmers is based on trust and the use of quality seed provides them a sustainable positive outcome.”
A survey conducted by WFO in 2021 found that 82% of farmers believed new, improved varieties were crucial to combat climate change and promote sustainability for food systems.
“We are delighted to continue our solid partnership with the International Seed Federation to cooperate globally and implement win-win actions toward sustainability. Such partnerships are essential for farmers to have the means to keep on feeding the world by fostering their farm productivity while protecting biodiversity and coping with the impacts of climate change,” said Arnold Puech d’Alissac, president of WFO.
WFO and ISF will also implement joint activities to encourage innovation and involvement in the agri-food value chain through enhancing knowledge, advocacy and pushing for farmer-driven innovative practices.
The Climakers will attend the COP27 meetings, in addition to various other international fora, to guarantee farmers’ voices are heard.
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