This policy paper has been prepared to highlight the key opportunities and challenges confronting farmers throughout the world as they consider and adopt practices that contribute to green economic development, poverty eradication and improved food security. It focuses on the role of farmers in green economic development and how a transition to a green economy could benefit farmers. It also describes the primary means to accomplish sustainable farming and discusses key policies and public/private investments that would advance a ‘green agriculture’ transition. It is intended to catalyze multi-stakeholder dialogues that place farmers at the center of international efforts to assess costs and benefits and to build a consensus for action at local, national, regional and global scales.