Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)

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1 Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) IFAD/Mwanzo Millinga EAFF is a regional umbrella network of smallholder family farmers of Eastern Africa founded in Its membership is voluntary and currently comprises 22 members, including women s organizations, commodity associations, cooperatives and advocacy-based organizations that are apex in nature. It is present in 10 countries Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kivu region), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Membership represents over 20 million active farmers. EAFF s strategic plan has eight pillars: (i) lobbying and advocacy; (ii) capacity-building; (iii) information and communication; (iv) partnerships and alliances; (v) sustainability; (vi) membership; (vii) relations between EAFF and membership; and (viii) cross-cutting issues on the environment, gender and HIV/AIDS. The role of EAFF is to promote the interests of farmers on issues touching on markets, productivity, capacity, information and regional integration as well as to voice farmers legitimate concerns about and interests in socio-economic development through strengthening of individual country platforms, developing positions on regional issues, advocating on behalf of member organizations and enhancing regional cohesiveness. To this end, EAFF has signed memoranda of understanding with: Regional economic communities: East African Community (EAC) (where they also have observer status) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Regional private sector organizations: East Africa Business Council (EABC) Boards of regional research organizations: Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) EAFF also holds a seat on FAO s Committee on World Food Security, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa partnership committee and the African Development Bank board of governors.

2 Plateforme Sous-Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) IFAD/Sarah Morgan PROPAC is a regional organization founded in 2005, bringing together 10 farmers organizations in the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) region Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. Farmers organizations in Central Africa are relatively young most were created in the 2000s as a result of the farmers movement in Central Africa. The institutionalization of these platforms is currently being finalized. The credibility they achieved has led to the multiplication of partners, involvement in government programmes and a presence in decision-making bodies. Its purpose is to harmonize the strategies and actions of Central African national FOs to address their concerns in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and strategies for agricultural and rural development at all levels. PROPAC s interventions are based on four axes: (i) support to FOs structuring and strategic planning; (ii) institutional capacity-building of FOs; (iii) promoting women s leadership and economic activities of FOs; and (iv) representation and defence of the interests of small producers. PROPAC has a vision of family farming being enterprising, sustainable and modernized in order to ensure the economic, social, cultural and ecological functions for food security and sovereignty.

3 Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l Afrique de l Ouest (ROPPA) IFAD/Amadou Keita The birth of ROPPA in 2000 was the culmination of a long process and organizational effort within the farmers movement in Western Africa. ROPPA s objective is to strengthen the capacities of Western African FOs, to defend the interests of their members and to influence the policies linked to agriculture, rural development and food security. ROPPA s membership covers 13 of the 16 countries of the region, giving ROPPA strong representativity Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. It has about 25 million members, approximately 62 per cent of whom are women. Members are divided between FOs, unions and other groups. Thanks to advocacy and lobbying activities conducted to promote family farming, food sovereignty, and regional and international trade, ROPPA, with the help of several partners, has developed an effective strategy to positively influence regional agricultural policies at all levels. ROPPA is a member of various Task Forces and consultative bodies on sector policies and is a key strategic partner of regional integration institutions such as the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel. In addition, ROPPA has been a founding member of the Farmers Forum at IFAD and has a seat in the Steering Committee. ROPPA s five-year strategic plan ( ) is based on four priority areas: (i) capacity-building of FOs to provide technical and economic services to their members and promote/support their economic initiatives; (ii) strengthening of learning and experience accumulated since 2000 in advocacy and lobbying in order to contribute to the implementation of policies and intervention strategies more favourable to sustainable family farming; (iii) consolidation of the network organization and governance to build sustainable institutional credibility, and that of its national platforms; and (iv) development of technical teams for high-level implementation of ROPPA s vision and mission.

4 Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) IFAD/Laura Chumillas SACAU is a regional farmers organization representing the interests of farmers in southern Africa. It was originally formed in 1992 as a loose consultation platform for national FOs in southern Africa. Following the establishment of its secretariat in early 2004 and the adoption and implementation of its first strategy in 2006, the organization has recorded substantial growth. It currently has 16 members from 12 countries Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe representing a total of about 4.1 million members. Between 2004 and 2012, SACAU s budget grew more than twelvefold, which has allowed a significant increase in operations. The vision of SACAU is to bring about a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable farming sector that ensures food security and contributes to economic growth in Southern Africa. Its mission is to be the main voice of farmers and to promote and ensure strong and effective farmers and producers organizations in all countries in Southern Africa. SACAU s strategic framework, adopted in 2010, promotes three strategic goals: (i) promoting the creation of an enabling environment that allows Southern African farmers to realize their productive potential by influencing regional, continental and global policies and programmes related to agriculture; (ii) supporting the establishment and development of strong, credible and sustainable FOs that provide effective and efficient support services to farmers and other stakeholders; and (iii) supporting strategic decision-making in agriculture by Southern African FOs and other stakeholders through timely provision of appropriate information. Crosscutting issues such as gender, the environment and HIV/AIDS are also considered as critical areas of focus in the strategy. SACAU is recognized as a key dialogue partner on agricultural matters by the two regional economic communities in Southern Africa: the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). SACAU is also part of the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) and collaborates with the African Union/New Partnership for Africa s Development (NEPAD) Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). The organization has successfully positioned itself, regionally and globally, as the main voice of Southern African farmers on regional, continental and global issues.

5 Union Maghrébine des Agriculteurs (UMAGRI) IFAD/Susan Beccio UMAGRI is a regional professional organization established in Its membership includes seven national FOs in North African countries Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. UMAGRI aims to engrain team spirit among FOs in the region towards the consolidation of cooperation and coordination of efforts and action programmes in light of regional and international economic developments related to agriculture. UMAGRI supports the intensification of intraregional cooperation to address the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the region. partnership with Arab, African and Euro- Mediterranean organizations operating in the agricultural sector; (ii) create a common agricultural market in the Maghreb; (iii) develop a strategy for increasing basic agricultural products; (iv) improve the competitiveness of agricultural products and guarantee a better positioning in local and international markets; and (v) adopt a common plan against desertification and for the protection of the environment, and the sustainable management of natural resources. The objectives of UMAGRI as a platform for agricultural cooperation in the agricultural cooperation in the region are to: (i) focus on

6 Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO) IFAD/Nana Kofi Acquah PAFO was created in November 2010 by its constitutive general assembly, and subsequently recognized as the new representative body at the highest continental level. The general assembly culminated a process that had begun five years ago in partnership with the five regional networks of FOs EAFF, PROPAC, ROPPA, SACAU and UMAGRI and NEPAD on issues of integration at the continental level. The consultation process emphasized a need to organize farmers and agricultural producers, effectively engage members in advocacy, and promote their participation in the formulation and implementation of continental development policies that affect agriculture and rural development. PAFO is Africa s first continentwide FO and is an important instrument for rallying direct farmer engagement on Africa s growth and development agenda. With the support of the pilot phase of SFOAP, PAFO has participated in more than 48 international and continental advocacy, lobbying and negotiation meetings on agriculture and rural development, enabling the organization to increase its visibility and to be recognized by key partners as an important player in the policy arena. PAFO actively contributed to strengthen its partnership with the African Union in the framework of NEPAD/ CAADP and with other international partners including IFAD, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the European Union (EU) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). PAFO also seats in the Steering Committee of the Farmers Forum at IFAD. PAFO s five-year strategic plan ( ) defines the strategic vision of the organization as well as its main objectives, including: (i) to represent FOs and African producers at continental and international levels; (ii) to defend the rights and social and economic interests of African farmers and producers and their organizations at continental and international levels; (iii) to promote solidarity and partnership between FOs and African producers; (iv) to build common points of view on the main challenges concerning access to food for the population, the development of modern and competitive agriculture and the preservation of natural resources; (v) to share information, experiences and knowledge in all fields of agriculture and rural development; (vi) to increase understanding and consideration of deepest values of African agriculture; (vii) to contribute to the promotion of trade of agricultural products and African regional economic integration; and (viii) to influence agricultural policies and strategies at continental and international levels for a better consideration of the African farmers interests. PAFO will have an important responsibility to ensure farmers interests, needs and aspirations continue to be reflected and acted upon in Africa s agriculture development initiatives, and this key strategic document will guide the work of PAFO in the years to come.