National Family Farming Plan

Construction and prospects

Abstract

Between 2023 and 2024, Uruguay focused on the construction of the National Family Farming Plan (PNAF), in line with the guidelines of the Global Decade of Family Farming at the United Nations and the agreement of the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming (REAF) to promote national plans. The aim is to position the sector on the public agenda, while promoting state actions in conjunction with civil society for the strengthening of a key player in the economy, rural territories and food sovereignty.

In that context, the country carried out a construction process that had as a framework citizen participation, technical feasibility and prioritization in the political agenda. Under the coordination of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (through the General Directorate of Rural Development and REAF Uruguay), a 2024-2028 planning aimed at strengthening family farming in the work of public, agricultural and extra-agricultural institutions was convened, articulated and developed.

This note seeks to synthesize the diagnostic elements that give rise to the plan, the methodology used in the process of construction of the PNAF at the Uruguayan level, and the characteristics and emphasis of the resulting product. 

It also introduces reflections from a perspective of Family Farming as State policy, on the elements of implementation and governance of the plan that, due to its periodicity, overlaps with an election process and change of government administration.