PS 59-5
Capacity building for organic natural resource management systems
A key issue within global agricultural research and development is the need to positively focus on the sustainable development of small farmers, resource poor farmers and their communities. Though these farmers make up to 90% of the worlds farmers, often they have not had equal access and participation in programs and training designed to assist large producers and agribusinesses.
A recent USDA Census indicated that about 91% of all farms in the United States are small farms. Small farms and resource poor farmers represent over 90% of all farms in Florida.
FAMU StateWide Small Farm Programs is an active participatory capacity building program developed to assist and equip underserved farming populations and their communities toward a thriving sustainable development. The Program uses a participatory, multidisciplinary integrated systems approach to identify needs and develop relevant education, hands-on training and technical assistance for underserved farming populations and their communities.
Results/Conclusions
The critical role that small farmers hold in their local and global communities as sustainable food providers is pivotal to local food security and local natural resource conservation.
FAMU StateWide Small Farm Program provides capacity building - relevant education, hands-on training, and technical assistance to underserved small farm populations and their communities to encourage farm viability, alternative natural resource management strategies, organic farm systems, and small farm sustainable development.
Capacity building strategies that emphasize organic farming systems have the potential to build healthy soils, support biodiversity, encourage healthy farm ecosystems, and to enable thriving and sustainable food systems.
Organic farming systems uniquely support farm-environment conservation and natural resource management.