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Strengthen Farmers’ Organisations in Asia and Pacific Region

Project completed

Farmers’ Organisations in Asia and the Pacific aim to represent the interests of a broad range of rural producers. They voice out their members’ views and expectations in national and regional processes, and deliver varied services to them. SDC will support a bottom-up programme set by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that aims at strengthening the organisational and operational capacities of these organisations. This programme will be directly implemented by them and their regional networks.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Asia
Agriculture & food security
Agricultural policy
Agricultural development
Agricultural research
01.11.2013 - 31.12.2017
 CHF  3’000’000
The project in brief
Background

Since the majority of Asia’s poor live in rural areas, promoting vibrant agricultural and rural sectors remains a policy priority. Though Farmers Organisations (FOs) are increasingly recognized at national and regional levels as major stakeholders, their effectiveness in influencing policy orientations and in providing economic services to their members still remains scattered.
Objectives

To contribute to poverty alleviation in the Asia and Pacific region through strengthened capacity of FOs to evolve into more stable, performing, accountable institutions able to effectively represent their members and advise rural smallholders in their farming enterprises.
Target groups
IFAD’s Medium-Term Cooperation Programme with Farmers’ Organisations in Asia and the Pacific (MTCP2) has two main target groups:
  1. Rural women and men, especially those rural smallholders who are running farm and non-farm enterprises;
  2. FOs that operate in rural and agricultural development with firm commitment to representing and promoting the farmers’ interests, and with their policy and service inclusiveness for smallholder farmers.
Medium-term outcomes

  1. Institutional and operational capacities of the FOs are effectively strengthened in correspondence with their roles and functions in policy process and services to the members
  2. Rural smallholders’ interests are promoted and their concerns are addressed in related policy process thanks to the strengthened capacities of the FOs
  3. Strengthened FOs providing effective pro-poor services and actively participating in agriculture and rural development, in complement with IFAD country programmes’ interventions where applicable.
Results

Results from previous phases:  

  • National farmers’ forums were utilized in several countries as platforms for exchange of information and joint activities among FOs: e.g. successful recognition of farmers’ demands in Nepal’s National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)
  • Differentiated approaches were adopted to constitute effective FOs forum/platforms
  • Knowledge management is key in facilitating cross-learning and promoting innovations that can be replicated or scaled-up
  • Involvement of FOs in IFAD country programmes depended on openness on both sides
Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • International Fund for Agricultural Development


Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    3’000’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    2’976’249
Project phases

Phase 1 01.11.2013 - 31.12.2017   (Completed)

  • Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation AGRICULTURE
    AGRICULTURE
    AGRICULTURE
    Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation
    Agricultural policy and administrative management
    Agricultural development
    Agricultural research
    Cross-cutting topics The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
    The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
    The project supports partner organisation improvements as a priority
    Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
    Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
    Finance type Aid grant
    Aid Type Basketpooled multi-donor fund
    Tied/untied aid Untied aid
    Project number

    7F08849

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Last update 29.07.2025