World hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition are on the rise, as well as extreme climate events and the farming sector worldwide is still coping with issues like farmers’ access to resources, gender equality, youth empowerment, access to market among others.

Farmers are the first ones to be impacted by such challenges and those who work to overcome them every day, while at the same time trying to be resilient and produce more and sustainably with less.

Given the central role they are called to play for the implementation of the global agenda of sustainable development, farmers deserve to sit around the big table to have their say and propose their way towards a sustainable future for everyone everywhere.

That’s why every July the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and its representatives from around the world attend the High-Level Political Forum in New York: representing the interests of those who feed the planet on a daily basis  and ensuring that the farmers’ voice is heard on the most relevant issues for them.

The High-Level Political Forum 2019 convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will be held from Tuesday, 9 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Tuesday, 16 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019.

The theme of this year will be “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality“. The set of goals to be reviewed in depth is the following: Goal 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all); Goal 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all); Goal 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries); Goal 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts); Goal 16 (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels); Goal 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development)

This year’s WFO delegation will be composed by exceptional representatives: 16 young farmers from all over the world, students in the first edition of the WFO Gymnasium high-level capacity building programme, will gather in New York to join the debate and reiterate that farmers, men, women and youth, are the most powerful actors to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.

Daily updates on WFO and farmers’ participation in the HLPF will be available on Twitter by following @worldfarmersorg and #HLPF; #HLPF2019; #SDGs#GlobalGoals.