Press release number: IFAD 15/05

Rome, 16 February 2005 - 'Farmers’ organizations, policies and markets' was the subject of a seminar today organized by IFAD on the eve of the 28th Session of its Governing Council.

The seminar served as a forum for exchanging experiences relating to the empowerment of organizations of small farmers and rural producers in developing countries in terms of agricultural and rural development policy processes and local and global markets.

Participants included 35 representatives of farmers’ and rural producers’ organizations from around the world and members of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP), the Network of Peasant Organizations and Producers in West Africa (ROPPA) and Via Campesina.

Each topic was addressed by a panel of representatives from the three farmers’ organizations. The panellists took up specific cases of institutional empowerment for effective pro-poor policy engagement on issues that affect rural poor people and for pro-poor market initiatives in domestic and international markets. The panel presentations were followed by a general discussion. There was a consensus that rural poor people should have access to markets especially at the local level. This would enable them to have a voice in matters that directly affect their lives and their livelihoods.

''It is important to realize that many issues that critically affect the lives of poor people are no longer decided only at the local level,'' says Phrang Roy, Assistant President of IFAD. To exercise influence and negotiate at the national and global levels, poor rural people must have a far greater capacity both as individuals and as organizations in order to articulate and negotiate their interests.

Sarala Gopalan from the Indian National Institute of Agriculture underlined the importance of information and exchange of best practices and presented AGMARKNET, the Agricultural Marketing Information Network that also assists in capacity building. Equal rights for women farmers is the need of the hour. Jaime Castillo Ulloa of UNORCA (Union Nacional de Organizaciones Regionales Campesinas Autoinomas) from Mexico and Olaseinde Arigbede of USMEFAN (Union of Small and Medium Scale Farmers of Nigeria) emphasized the importance of looking more closely at the needs of small farmers and designing appropriate policies.

Farmers and producers should organize themselves into cooperatives in order to access markets, said Ibrahima Coulibaly of AOPP (Association des Organisations Professionnelles Paysannes du Mali). Nettie Wiebe of National Farmers Union in Canada expressed concern about agro industries that are widening the ''wealth gap'' and leading to migration from the countryside to the cities. IFAP President Jack Wilkinson called for re-balancing the negotiating powers of agricultural producers, enabling them to have a voice in matters that directly affect them.

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IFAD is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world's poorest people – 900 million women, children and men – live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. Through low-interest loans and grants, IFAD works with governments to develop and finance programmes and projects that enable rural poor people to overcome poverty themselves.

There are close to 200 ongoing IFAD-supported rural poverty eradication programmes and projects, totaling US$ 6.5 billion. IFAD has invested about US$ 3 billion in these initiatives. Co-financing has been provided by governments, beneficiaries, multilateral and bilateral donors and other partners. At full development, these programmes will help more than 100 million rural poor women and men to achieve better lives for themselves and their families. Since starting operations in 1978, IFAD has invested US$ 8.5 billion in 676 projects and programmes that have helped more than 250 million poor rural men and women achieve better lives for themselves and their families.