InternationalYear of FamilyFarming needs a reality check

So 2014 is the UN International Year of Family Farming. Meaning what, exactly?

On the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation website dedicated to the topic, there’s a photo competition where you can vote for your favourite family farming photograph. The images portray an image of happy families working in scenic landscapes where the weather is always pleasant.

But what about the real picture? The low incomes, the unpaid family labourers, the farm fatalities involving family members — there’s no place for these realities on this pin-board of positivity.