The Platform is intended for a wide range of users, from Government Officers to FarmersвЂ™ Organizations, from Academia to Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations, all of which need access to qualified knowledge on family farming and related topics. The Platform welcomes contributions of all interested entities (such as Research Organizations, Universities, Non-Governmental Organizations, Development Agencies and FarmersвЂ™ Organizations) willing to participate in the project by sending factual, notable, verifiable (with cited sources) and neutrally presented content. Hosted by FAO, the Platform benefits from the active collaboration of its contributors including Governments, United Nations Agencies, FarmersвЂ™ Organizations, Research centres and Academia with the common goal of identifying opportunities and gaps to promote a shift towards more equal and balanced development. Who are the Family Farming Knowledge Platform Contributors? All the characteristics above mean that family farmers hold the unique potential to move towards more productive and sustainable food systems if policy environments support them in this path. Family farmers are embedded in territorial networks and local cultures, and spend their incomes mostly within local and regional markets, generating many agricultural and non-agricultural jobs. They run diversified agricultural systems and preserve traditional food products, contributing both to a balanced diet and the safeguarding of the worldвЂ™s agro-biodiversity. Family farmers range from smallholder to medium-scale farmers, and include peasants, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, fisher folks, mountain farmers, pastoralists and many other groups representing every region and biome of the world. There are over 500 million family farms in the world. Family farming is the predominant form of agriculture both in developed and developing countries.

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