Context
What is “smallscale farming”?
Smallscale farming is a farming system that promotes a maximum number of farmers spread over a territory to live decently from their farm, by producing healthy and quality food in a human-sized farm, without impacting on natural resources. It participates with the citizens to make the rural environment lively and to preserve a good living environment.
Project leaders
Founded in 1984, the Associative Federation for the Development of Agricultural and Rural Employment (in French “Fédération Associative pour le Développement de l’Emploi Agricole et Rural”, FADEAR) brings together 64 local organizations which bring together farmers and other rural stakeholders who wish to share their experience and know-how to encourage and facilitate the installation of smallscale farmers.
Project
FADEAR has been implementing smallscale farming projects through its different local delegations for the past 30 years, in order to support the installation of new farmers, the transmission of farms over generations and the change of production systems within farmers..
- A network working for living territories:
The training and support offer to farmers allow them to settle down and make a living from their farm activity. This also contributes to the fight against rural-urban migration and the loss of ancient agricultural skills. It provides quality food to citizens while having a positive impact on the environment. This contributes in proving that another way of farming is possible and wanted, and raises public awareness of these issues.
- Become a smallscale farmers...:
Wanting to settle in agriculture means having to go through several stages. The ADEARs intervene on several levels with the agricultural project holders. The objective is to support them, from just an idea until the actual farm. It also gives them access to a network of farmers and future farmers, helping them to reflect on their own project. Group meetings are organized so that the farmers can exchange on the challenges they are encountering and ideas.
The ADEARs support the future farmer at each stage by providing them information on the legislation, by giving them the contact of relevant people to help them, by giving them an expert opinion of their project.
On average, 7000 future farmers are supported each year.
- Being a smallscale farmer ...
The ADEARs also support farmers on a daily basis, in particular through training programs, in order to be able to respond to changes both in the agricultural sector and the environment. Each year, hundreds of farmers are offered technical or political training, or working group meetings to move on their project.
- Pass on your farm…
The ADEARs also support farmers in the transmission of their farms. The issue is not well enough addressed yet, whereas it’s very important if we want to keep the rural areas alive and keep producing quality local food.
Means
- The “Charter of smallscale Agriculture” which defines smallscale Agriculture in ten principles and six themes. Download The Charter of smallscale Agriculture brief
- FADEAR’s main tool is the “Smallscale Agriculture Assessment”: The Smallscale Agriculture assessment is intended for any farmer wishing to reflect and analyze its farm, practices and performances. It is above all a tool for reflection, to analyze its practices and consider changes in its production system. Learn more about the Smallscale Agriculture Assessment on their website.
You can go watch FADEAR video showcasing the history of FADEAR, smallscale agriculture, the charter, the federation network as well as the organization’s main activities.
Partners
In order to promote Smallscale Agriculture, the ADEARs work with several partners:
- Smallscale farmers: the ADEARs help them to analyze their farm and to reflect on the evolution of their practices thanks to the Smallscale Agriculture Assessment tool, and by helping them in their installation.
- Agricultural high schools: some ADEARs give conferences in agricultural high school in order to introduce future farmers to the challenges of peasant farming: farm visit, farm assessment, games on smallscale farming…
- Local authorities: some of the ADEARs support local authorities wishing to encourage smallscale agriculture on their territory, for example on land management (design of local urban planning plans, etc.)
- The general public: the ADEARs network contributes in raising awareness for smallscale farming, by organizing events, peasant festivals, thematic debates and farm visits.
The Little Extra
The federation is also politically supporting and defending smallscale agriculture on national scenes.
The FADEAR also aims at tackling all of the step of the food chain to change the current main agricultural model. The federation is committed against the industrialization of our agricultural systems and the liberalization of the agricultural commodity markets.
Putting forward such public policies also means enabling citizens to fight politically to defend smallscale farming and food sovereignty project. FADEAR aims at involving citizens in advocating towards this common goal and not reduce them to simple consumers who only have their food choice as mean to tackle this system.
To go further :
If you want to build a sustainable agricultural and food system, you can engage in an ADEAR and share its innovations with other smallscale farmers, by joining agricultural and food development groups.
If you wish to politically support smallscale agriculture, collectively build the future, bring this political project to life, you can join and commit to the Smallscale Farming Confederation of your department.
Needs :
- Having more financial support
- Improve communication to the general public who is wondering about agricultural and food issues
Service:
- Support on communication
Written by Orane Dupont, Installation-transmission coordinator at ARDEAR Normandie - April 2020
Last modification : 11 Apr 2020.
FADEAR and ADEAR
FADEAR’s mission is to train the farmers, to facilitate the creation of new farms and to promote the various aspects of smallscale agriculture. The non-profit organization offers different support depending on the region, but share the same approach: encourage participatory work and solidarity, welcome all farm project leaders without discrimination.