During the 23rd edition of the International Forum on Agriculture and Food, Richard McCarthy, President of the World Farmers Markets Coalition, delivered a clear message: “A new leadership for the future of food is emerging from farmers markets, based on community, education, and international cooperation.”
McCarthy thanked Coldiretti, its President Ettore Prandini, and Secretary General Vincenzo Gesmundo for the vision that made it possible to create a true global community of farmers’ markets, bringing together farmers and local leaders from over 80 countries.
A movement that, originating in Italy thanks to the Campagna Amica Foundation, now represents over 330,000 farming families and more than 400 million consumers worldwide.
“In a time of global crises,” McCarthy emphasized, “our task is to build mechanisms of trust, solidarity, and resilience. Farmers markets are instruments of change, capable of restoring dignity to agricultural work and giving hope back to local communities.”
During his speech, the WorldFMC president highlighted the need to train a new generation of rural leaders, ready to guide sustainable development processes in their territories.
Through shared projects across Europe, Africa, and Latin America, the Coalition is promoting training and skills exchange programs, supporting the growth of small producers and the inclusion of young people.
“What we see happening in farmers markets in Africa, Asia, or Europe,” McCarthy added, “is extraordinary: small producers, women, and youth turning marketplaces into laboratories of peace, dialogue, and social innovation.”
President McCarthy also reiterated that Italian leadership represents a model to follow worldwide: “The Campagna Amica experience shows that farmers markets are not just a place to sell products, but a social and educational infrastructure. From here, a new way of imagining the food economy can emerge, based on trust between producers and citizens.”
McCarthy’s message is part of the effort to strengthen the global farmers market movement, which today seeks to offer a concrete response to the challenges of our time: climate change, food insecurity, and social inequality.
A future in which local food becomes the common language of a fairer and more sustainable world.
