The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation
(FAO) has declared 2014 as the year of family farming with the
objective of inviting focused global action for improving the
productivity and incomes of family farms in different countries.
Family farming is a form of agricultural organisation in which labour
and managerial skills in farming come mainly from members of the
farm family. Family farming exists in both developed and developing
countries. While the average size of family farms is relatively large in
the developed countries of the West, small size family farms dominate
in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite the fact that agriculture is no longer
a profitable occupation for most farmers in the developing countries
and that they suffer from various technological, institutional, capital
and market constraints, small farming dominates as there is not
much choice or opportunities outside agriculture. Farmers in general
do not possess either necessary skills for gainful non-agricultural
employment nor capital to take up non-farm enterprises. The much
talked about rural industrialisation and service sector growth has not
taken off due to several constraints. Under this circumstance, small
family farming will stay for some decades to come. However, the key
question is how small farms can become viable and sustainable in the
face of various odds.