Successful stories and approaches told by their leaders

Background

Organic farming is well recognized for its contribution to improving food security and alleviating poverty, proactively creating new local and export markets, and driving sustainable rural development through the empowerment of farmers and their organizations. Organic production systems are particularly suitable to smallholder farmers as these systems depend on the sustainable use of local resources and on farmers’ traditional knowledge and social networks. The shift to organic farming also offers health benefits for consumers and contributes to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Food security as a priority for organics may also involve enabling women’s empowerment since they hold a central role in providing nutrition for the household (IFOAM, 2009). The ecological, social and economic benefits of organic farming is also recognized by IFAD

Organic farmers’ organizations (FOs) have been the driving force behind the development of the organic sector around the world. They bring farmers into sustainable farming systems that often reverse degraded and unproductive soils. They also provide advice and certification services and help create market linkages. Organic FOs also offer a platform for networking and knowledge sharing as well as for promoting farmer-driven agricultural research and extension approaches. Many of these organizations were responsible for the first organic standards and for overseeing the establishment of governmental rules on organic farming. They also strive to improve global market access, especially for farmers in developing countries. As a consequence, many organic FOs are the keepers of a vast knowledge base from the ecological sciences that underpins production right through to market legislation. Their knowledge is what enables the world’s alternative food and farming systems to function, improve and expand.

In 2009, the organic FO members of IFOAM established their own professional international network, the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organisations (INOFO), which comprises members from all continents. INOFO provides a platform to facilitate exchange of information and consultation between organic FOs, allowing them to find a common voice on matters of common concern, and strengthening their capacity  to engage in lobbying and policy-dialogue activities. The efforts of IFOAM and INOFO to disseminate alternative, low-cost certification systems known as “participatory guarantee systems” have led to the rapid increase of grassroots organic FOs, especially in the developing world where thousands of poor farmers can now easily obtain the organic certification. Given the multiple benefits of organic farming, IFOAM and INOFO are working with partners inside and outside of the movement  to make these benefits more widely available, increase the use of organic farming as a development model, and promote pro-poor market linkages.

Objectives of the side event

The main objectives of this side event are to:

• Present the goal of the IFOAM-supported network INOFO, and discuss the constraints and opportunities it faces to become an inclusive and mature organization with capacity to support its members and represent their interests through strategic partnership, lobbying and policy-dialogue
• Share knowledge with participants – including leaders of grassroots organizations from the South and the North, IFAD representatives and other relevant partners – on successful approaches that organic FOs use to empower women, men and youth farmers and to promote sustainable rural development

Expected outcomes

• Increased awareness among Farmers’ Forum participants of the role that organic FOs play in empowering farmers and promoting sustainable, people-centered and bio-diverse rural development
• Recommendations on how to strengthen the capacity of organic FOs and the IFOAM-supported INOFO network to: i) deliver services (e.g. quality control in certification systems, market linkages, research, extension, networking) to their members; ii) mainstream organic farming in rural development strategies and practices including those of non-organic FOs; iii) strengthen strategic alliances with partner organizations and expand its networks
• Recommendations on how to foster collaboration between IFAD and organic FOs, and their network INOFO, in rural development project
  

Agenda

14:00	Opening statements and presentation of the participants Cristina Grandi (IFOAM Chief Food Security Campaigner)
14:10	Presentations: Andre Leu (IFOAM President): IFOAM and smallholder farmers. Supporting Organic FOs and their network INOFO. Moses Quispe (ANPE Executive Director and INOFO President): Organic farmer movement in Latin America: the experience of the Asociación Nacional de Productores Ecológicos (ANPE) in Peru Pablito Malabanan Villegas (INOFO Vice President and Projects and Convenor for Southeast Asia): Successful approaches of organic farmer organizations for improving food security and mitigating climate change in Asia Cristina Micheloni (AIAB Vice-President): Promoting farmer-driven research and extension in Italy: the role of the Associazione Italiana di Agricoltura Biologica(AIAB)
14:50	Panel discussion Esther Penunia (Asian Farmers Association, AFA); Renaldo Chingore (La Via Campesina, LVC) IFOAM and IFAD representatives: The rationale for INOFO and for establishing strategic partnership with other FOs and networks
15:20	Debate
15:50	Conclusion Andre Leu (IFOAM President)