In late July 2021, farmers market organizations from around the world met in Rome, Italy to launch the World Farmers Markets Coalition. With leadership from Campagna Amica, the Italian counterpart to the US national Farmers Market Coalition, the launch was planned to coincide with the pre-summit for the UN Food Systems summit in order to garner media attention, support from the international community, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Richard McCarthy and Ben Burkett represented US farmers markets and the Farmers Market Coalition and showed off some market goods from around the US and shared as much as he could about what is happening here at markets in the United States. The process of the development of the WFMC has been an exciting opportunity to connect with and learn from our international colleagues who share our values of creating strong local food systems that support communities. 

Among countries promoting the coalition at the UN Conference were Italy, the US, Norway, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Canada, Chile, Ghana, South Africa, Georgia, and England (some reps pictured here with Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations). With support from the FAO, the coalition will be an opportunity for spreading the phenomenon of farmers markets in the world with particular interest in accompanying governments towards the issuance of forward-looking regulations and local farmers’ associations in the development of procedures and good practices, through technical assistance, legal assistance, communication, documentation, and training of farmers market managers and farmers.

Read more about these exciting developments in the full World Farmers Markets Coalition report and on the World Farmers Markets Coalition website.

Follow the World Farmers Markets Coalition on Instagram and join the LinkedIn Group.