Smallholder farmers are responsible for most of the world’s food production and investments made in agriculture. They also play a major role in preserving agrobiodiversity which is, in turn, a key asset for ensuring their own food security and nutrition, and that of their communities. Smallholder farmers mostly operate in markets that are embedded into territorial food systems, also called “territorial markets”. From a consumer perspective, these territorial markets represent key retail outlets for accessing healthy diets, in particular fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat, and staple foods. Despite their importance, data concerning territorial markets - with details on availability of different food groups and food retailers and consumers’ characteristics - are often not available in national data collection systems. Through the territorial markets initiative, FAO aims to highlight the importance of territorial markets to promote healthy food environments and ensure access to healthy diets and nutritious and diversified food. To know more: https://www.fao.org/nutrition/markets/territorial-markets-initiative/en/.
