Establishing and Strengthening Farmer Organizations

INTRODUCTION

Knowledge, skills and appropriate capital are the most key resources that rural famers in developing countries require to make their farming profitable. With the support that these farmers have been receiving from their respective governments alongside its stakeholders to solve these problems, farmers still experience more challenges because they have no voice in the interventions designed to solve their problems. Farmer organizations are institutions that give farmers a fair voice to negotiate for any engagement targeting them. Additional benefits of these organizations include access to markets and reduced transaction costs. This training course targets various actors working with farmers among them agricultural extension officers, government officials, policy makers and community workers working in development programmers.

 DURATION

5 Days

 COURSE OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, learners will:

• Gained practical knowledge on various types of farmer organizations
• Understand the key steps in establishing farmer organizations
• Appreciate the roles of extension services in farmer organizations
• Understand key issues influencing participation in farmer organizations
• Understand various empowerment methods that can be applied to farmer organizations
• Understand factors influencing farmer organizations’ effectiveness
• Understand policy issues influencing establishment and strengthening of farmer organizations

 COURSE OUTLINE

• Establishing farmer organizations
• Strengthening existing farmer organizations
• 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