Supporting Farmers’ Organisations in Kenya to Empower Smallholder Farmers
As part of GCARD 2010, Farming First hosted a session entitled ‘Better Benefiting the Poor through Public-Private Partnerships for Innovation and Action.’ Within the discussions, our panel of experts addressed several case studies that present different ways that partnerships have helped to empower smallholder farmers around the world.
Edward Kateyia – IFAP/Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers
Empowering smallholder farmers in markets (ESFIM) is a programme covering 11 developing countries set up by IFAP, ECART, IFAD, Agricord, CTA and various local researchers in Kenya. The project’s overall objective is to generate demand-driven action research support to the policy activities undertaken by farmers’ organisations. By creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment as well as economic organisations and institutions, the initiative works to empower farmers to generate remunerative cash income from markets.
Promoting collaborative research, the study gave research support to nine national farmers’ organisations to help them produce a set of propositions that would help them voice their research requirements more effectively and help to initiate partnerships amongst research groups for executing their various activities.
A second phase of activities involved supporting farmers’ organisations with information to strengthen their research capabilities and access to knowledge. Through this, farmers’ organisations have an improved and increased capacity to collect, organise and exchange experiences, knowledge and information within an international network of researchers.
Tags: Agricord, ECART, Edward Kateyia, ESFIM, GCARD, ifad, IFAP, Kenya
May 28, 2010
If we’re to achieve, globally, a sustainable agriculture for the future, then we really need to look at the farmers’ needs, first and foremost. Across the globe, farmers are facing the massive challenge of growing enough food to feed our increasing population. If they are to continue to be able to farm in the face of climate change and other threats to agriculture, such as pests and diseases, then they need to be able to access the best knowledge. Also, their needs, including vital research requirements, need to be heard. Smallholder farmers are the most vulnerable, especially those in developing countries, who more often than not have very limited access to knowledge and resources. The success of programmes such as ESFIM show what a positive impact public-private partnerships can have on the farmer. New innovations can reach them much faster, and with much more efficiency. The cost of research can be a major financial barrier for farmers, and this is eased with the creation of such partnerships between farmers’ organisations and research groups. From a long-term perspective, the support is there for further advancements which can really benefit farmers and bring us closer to achieving a global sustainable agricultural system.
Alex Rinkus
CropLife Foundation