The IFAD Farmers' Forum

20 - 21 February. Rome. About 95 delegates from farmers' and fishers' networks, and an equal number of observers, attended the Farmers' Forum. The forum discussed a.o. the importance to invest in strengthening the technical, managerial and organizational capacity of FOs, as well as their governance mechanisms and leadership skills. IFAD and other development organizations are playing a role in this area.

Various concrete solutions have been proposed as a way forward for FOs, in many cases by drawing on successful experiences that have potential for replication. It was suggested that IFAD and other development institutions provide a combination of loans and grants to financially support FOs. This could build their capacity while making FOs more responsible as owners of their own path towards sustainability.

Djibo Bagna of the West African producers' network ROPPA listed a series of specific policy questions that must be answered as a prerequisite for rural transformation. For example, how will smallholders gain access to credit and markets? And how can we empower rural women and youth, and build the capacities of producers' organizations? "The road ahead is still very long," said Bagna.

Background:

The Farmers' Forum is an emerging, bottom-up process of consultation and dialogue between small farmers and rural producers' organizations, IFAD and governments, focused on rural development and poverty reduction. Fully aligned with IFAD's strategic objectives, the Forum is rooted in concrete partnership and collaboration at the country and regional level. Engagement with rural organizations at the field level and dialogue at the international level are articulated as mutually reinforcing processes. Following consultations at the national and regional level, the Farmers' Forum meets every two years for a global consultation, in conjunction with the Governing Council of IFAD.

Sustainable smallholder agriculture: Feeding the world, protecting the planet

Centre-stage events

Wednesday 22 February

What promise will Rio herald for agriculture?” A conversation with Dr Lindiwe Majele Sibanda (FANRPAN)

Side events of the Farmers’ Forum

Thursday, 23 February 2012 (IFAD HQ)

14:00 - 16:00	“Organic farmers organizations: empowering farmers and promoting sustainable rural development” organised by IFOAM. – Oval Room A English | French | Spanish
14:00 - 16:00	“Linking research to advocacy in farmer organizations: building on country experiences”. organised by AgriNatura and the ESFIM project. – Oval Room B English | French | Spanish
14:00 - 16:00	“The role of livestock for farmers coping with environmental and social challenges of the future”. organised by Vétérinaires Sans Frontières  – Europa. - Room C 500 5th floor wing C English | French | Spanish
16:30 - 18:30	“Strengthening farmers' organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa– the Farmer Organization Support Centre in Africa” (FOSCA). organised by Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). – Oval Room A English | French | Spanish
16:30 - 18:30	“World Agricultures Watch”: FAO/CIRAD – organised by WAW secretariat at FAO. – Oval Room B English | French | Spanish
16:30 - 18:30	“International Year of Cooperatives”: jointly organised by IFAD, WFP and FAO. – Room C 500 5th floor wing C English | French | Spanish

Entretien avec Moussa Para Diallo, Président de la Confédération Nationale des Organisations des Paysans de Guinée (CNOPG), dans le cadre du Forum Paysan 2012, FIDA, Rome


4th global meeting of the Farmers' Forum . Opening session, part I

Farmers’ organizations and agricultural research for development in Africa: roles, complementarity with others stakeholders and partnerships institutionalization

In the frame of the PAEPARD project , the CSA organized on September 27, 2011 a workshop in Brussels about: « Farmers’ organizations and agricultural research for development in Africa: roles, complementarity with others stakeholders and partnerships institutionalization ». The workshop report is now available on the CSA website in ENGLISH and in FRENCH.

This workshop gathered European NGOs and agri-agencies, African farmers ‘organizations, researchers and private sector’s representatives. It included presentation of experiences and debates.

The workshop was organized around two main questions:
1. What role for FOs and what complementarity with others stakeholders for:
2. How to formalize partnerships between FOs and others stakeholders inside agricultural research institutions, at level of
funding and governance mechanisms and the choice of research topics.

Related blog post: PAEPARD/CSA internal consultation for European NGO and FO

PAEPARD/CSA internal consultation for European NGO and FO

27th of September 2011. The objective of the European NGOs and farmer’s organizations consultation was to provide keys to reorient research towards more demand-driven approach for African family farmers.

The aim of the consultation was to highlight constraints and opportunities for more inclusive and balanced partnerships establishment, and elaborating a common view of what European NGOs and farmer’s organizations should promote into PAEPARD.

Based on results of the previous consultations and of the PAEPARD project, the consultation will allow to discuss about important questions raised by the previous consultations and the first results of the PAEPARD project:

o What role for FOs and what complementarity with others stakeholders for:

• The translation of farmers needs in research questions (link with the base, formulation ...)
• The dissemination of research results
• The indigenous knowledge ‘s capitalization and exchange

o How to formalize partnerships between FOs and others stakeholders inside agricultural research institutions, at level of

• Funding and governance mechanisms
• Choice of research topics

The first question was expected to feed Work Package 3 (Communication), WP4 (Capacity building) and WP5 (Brokerage), while the second is expected to feed more specifically the WP6 (Advocacy).

Annick Sezibera


Mariana Wongtwosky


Cheikh Oumar Ba


Djibo Bagna


Marygoretti Kamau


Ann Waters Bayer


Giel Ton


Nicoliene Oudwater