Event: Establishing and strengthening farmer organizations Course

Venue: Indepth Research Services, Nairobi, Kenya.

Event Date: 20th -24th November 2017.

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INTRODUCTION
Farmers’ organization’s-FOs represent farmers’ own interests. They have emerged as a result of Farmers own, real expressed needs. They are effective channels of communication between the member-farmers. Without them, a situation of isolated voices would arise, that lack coordination and general power to affect the behavior of agricultural service providers. Farmer organizations therefore need to be strengthened. FO’s for instance do not have access to diverse sources of income, in some instances, there are no core cultural or economic activities that bind their members, FO’s in certain instances do not have access to capacity-building support, they sometimes operate in unfriendly institutional environment (lack of supportive legislation, no formal recognition). They tend to be weak and are unable to influence powerful actors with the needs of their members.
The Sustainable Livelihoods-SL approach to rural development recognizes the key importance of institutions and organizations to rural people for achieving positive livelihood outcomes
In many prevailing situations worldwide, formation of groups and farmer organizations is done without training them properly in theory and practice on the basic principles of community organizations. Majority of the farmers do not have many skills and experience in the process of establishing these organizations. However, many government agencies have developed national policies for rural development and designed policy framework to help rural people become organized so that delivery of services could be channeled through the various types of farmer organizations or groups. Well-meaning policies provide blueprint structures for farmer organizations (FO) in the form of cooperatives and commodity organizations in order to provide various inputs, marketing, and educational services to the farmers. However, a number of issues surround the establishment and functioning of farmer organizations remain unaddressed.

DURATION
5 days

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This course is intended for various actors in the Agriculture Extension (Agricultural extension officers, senior agricultural officials and policy makers) working with communities, in governments, funding agencies, Research organizations and non-government organizations among others for Agriculture support activities and other Development programmes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course, learners will have:
• Have gained practical knowledge on the various types of typical Farmer organizations
• Understood the key steps in establishing farmer organizations
• Be able to establish the roles of extension services in farmer organizations
• Understood the key issues influencing participation in farmer organizations
• Understood the various strategies/empowerment methods that can be applied to farmer organizations
• Gain an understanding of the factors influencing farmer organizations’ effectiveness/success
• Knowledge of the policy issues influencing establishment and strengthening of farmer organizations

TOPICS TO BE COVERED
• Key steps in establishing farmer organizations
o
o Understanding the Village Community
o Identifying Potential Leaders in the Community
o Talking to the Identified Leaders and Seeking Cooperation from Other
o Developing an Organizational Structure.
o Helping Local Leaders to Call Community Meetings.
o Nominating Core Group Leaders to Develop or Establish the FO
o Developing an Organizational Structure for the FO
o Developing the FO's Management through Education and Action Learning
o Gearing up for Action
o Monitoring and Evaluating the FO's Progress
• Key steps in strengthen existing FOs
o
o Understanding the Village Community and Gaining Their Trust
o Talking to Leaders about Why FOs Are Less Active
o Seeking Ideas on Strengthening and Revitalizing Community FOs
o Encouraging Local Leaders to Call Community Meetings
o Establishing a Core Group of Leaders to Draft a Proposal
o Getting Comments on and Community Endorsement of the Strategy
• Roles of extension services in farmer organizations
• Issues influencing participation in farmer organizations
• Empowerment methods to farmer organizations
• Fundraising for Farmer organizations
• Factors influencing farmer organizations’ effectiveness/success
• The dynamics of collaboration between research and farmers' organizations
• Policy issues influencing establishment and strengthening of farmer organizations

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