Family farmers innovate by developing assemblages of old and new food system practices and organizational processes, using both traditional and diverse forms of knowledge and connecting these with newly available information and technologies. These innovations have a holistic approach and can take many forms: technological, social, policy, financial, marketing, legislative and institutional. They can cover all aspects of agrifood systems and help family farmers to fight hunger and poverty, revitalize rural areas and protect the environment.

The United Nations envisions that, by 2050, almost 70 percent of the global growing population will be living in urban areas, especially in small cities and towns within Africa and Asia. This will mean more people to feed in these cities, as well as the risk of nutrition problems and increased levels of obesity associated with changes in diet and lifestyle. In this context, agriculture will need to produce more nutritious food while competing for ever scarcer natural resources and struggling with the effects of climate change.

The history of producer organizations in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a mixed one. In the past, producer organizations often failed to provide desired services due to dependence on government support, which led to heavy political interference as well as internal leadership and managerial problems. However, the hasty retreat of the state following adjustment and market liberalization reforms left an institutional void that the private sector has failed to fill.

Every year around the world, 10 million hectares of forest are lost to deforestation and 70 million hectares are burnt by fire. In response, world leaders have committed to halt deforestation and restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. To achieve this, countries need the right forest data to measure progress and enable action on the ground. To bridge this gap, FAO launched Open Foris over a decade ago.