Family Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean is made up of the large majority of agricultural producers and constitutes the highest proportion of the family work force. It generates the largest volume of production per area farmed and plays a fundamental and vital role in supplying food for a world plagued by hunger. Agriculture in the region is characterized by its sustainability and support for the demographic balance, for decentralization and for the sovereignty of food. It counteracts the trend towards production concentration and the commercialization of agricultural products and ownership of the land. This sector is also strategic because of its capacity for using the natural resources in a sustainable way and for preserving the cultural dimension and other values inherent in the rural livelihoods.