ILEIA exchanges information about practical experiences on sustainable, small-scale agriculture. Our aim is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in a sustainable way. ILEIA is part of, and supports, a global network of organisations with the same aim.

ILEIA is a resource centre on sustainable small-scale agriculture. It publishes the quarterly LEISA Magazine, and supports partners in Asia, Africa and Latin America in publishing regional editions of the magazine. ILEIA and partners also provide training in how to document experiences with agricultural development work. ILEIA is working on a manual for educators in agricultural schools and universities, Farming Matters, which explains concepts and practices in sustainable agriculture. In 2009, ILEIA celebrates LEISA Magazine’s 25th birthday. The year is devoted to “The Future of Family Farming”.

ILEIA and the Millennium Development Goals
Small-scale farming, or family farming, is the main livelihood for almost a quarter of the world’s population. Small-scale producers play an essential role in achieving the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG): eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Family farming also plays an important role in safeguarding the environment (MDG 7): it can help in preserving biodiversity, and can aid in mitigating the effects of climate change. In many areas women are actively involved in these efforts. Therefore, efforts to sustain and optimise family farming can make a valuable contribution to MDG 3: promoting gender equality and empowering women.

Global network
ILEIA is in touch with a wide range of agriculture practitioners: farmers’ organisations, field workers, researchers, policy makers and rural entrepreneurs. They provide input for the global LEISA Magazine, which has close to 18,000 subscribers in 154 countries. The six partner organisations publish regional editions: in Latin America (in Spanish), Brazil (in Portuguese), China (in Chinese), Indonesia (in Bahasa Indonesia),West Africa (in French), and India (in English). The regional editions together have around 30,000 subscribers.

Agri-ProFocus
The added value of ILEIA for Agri-ProFocus lies in its experience with, and access to, agricultural practices that consider social and environmental issues. ILEIA and partners form an extensive network of agriculture practitioners, which can be used for sharing best practices developed by members of Agri-ProFocus.