Rome, Italy, June 25, 2021 – Yesterday, farmers’ leaders from WFO member organisations across the globe convened digitally for the most significant event in the institutional life of the organisation, the General Assembly.

After a year of disruption provoked by COVID-19, this year’s gathering was of utmost importance to share experiences from the past and expectations for the future in front of the multiple challenges that farmers from across the globe are facing.

A successful advocacy relies on strong policies, and policies can be strong only when they really reflect the position of the members. Feeding in WFO Political agenda means for you influencing the implementation of the international agenda in your countries, and this is the value of being part of an international organization, like the WFO.” With these words, the WFO President Theo de Jager welcomed the adoption of “The Policy Development Roadmap 2021-2022” that sets off  WFO members’ commitment to work together for the adoption of three brand-new policies on Cooperatives, Youth and Innovation and the revision of the policies on Trade and Women by the next General Assembly in 2022.

Furthermore, at the 2021 General Assembly, WFO Members reiterated their trust in the current WFO Board of Directors, giving their seal of approval for the COVID-19 Exceptional Resolution that extends the duration of the WFO Board’s mandate to the 2022 General Assembly.

It is worth mentioning that the 2021 General Assembly marked a special event as WFO celebrates its 10thAnniversary since its establishment in 2011. The event featured the participation, among others, of former WFO Presidents Ron Bonnet, Robert Carlson and William Rolleston. They took the floor to congratulate the current organisation’s leadership and celebrate its successful results of advocating for farmers in the global political dialogue on agriculture.

WFO 10th Anniversary Celebration was the occasion to commemorate Dr Evelyn Nguleka, who formally served as WFO President from 2015 to her death in February 2017 and recall her achievements and importance for the worldwide farmers’ community.

The next edition of the WFO General Assembly will be held in Budapest, Hungary, in the late spring of 2022, in collaboration with the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture (NAK).

There is a long way ahead and many opportunities until the end of next year to be grabbed and explored to put farmers, as true leaders, at the centre of every global political process on agriculture.