Ecooperation, the Dutch foundation that steered the agreements for sustainable development that the government had signed with Costa Rica, Bhutan and Benin, suggested Agriterra in the mid 1980s to work with the farmers of Benin. The first action was an inventory, consulting a dozen Dutch NGOs and institutes with a track record in that country with the objective to know the rural people’s organizations that might exist. Apart from SNV, that informed that at grass-roots level association and women’s groups were active, the consulted persons indicated that farmers were unorganized. This diagnosis became an example of NGO blindness for genuine organization of the people and their biased attention for local NGOs, so recurrent in development cooperation at that time. This was so, because a short visit and diagnosis conducted by Agriterra revealed that there existed a farmers’ federation with national aspirations (FUPRO) and a Chambre d’Agriculture[1]. The same study illustrated that this farmers organization remained weak in the poor south of the country.
With Agriterra’s support FUPRO started to work in these regions. This was important, because the initiators of FUPRO are cotton farmers. Being an export product and also produced on larger farms, FUPRO was branded a rich farmers federation. In these regions FUPRO started to improve the chains of cassava, palm oil and pineapple. AFDI, the French agri-agency, illustrated the results in the latter case during the Farmers Fighting Poverty seminar in Arnhem, 2006[2]. The NLTO deputy president Willy Schutte and policy officer Douwe Hollenga started the cooperation of this Northern LTO branch with FUPRO and geared their attention to the cotton sector. The possibilities of organic cotton were commonly explored. Directors, staff and members of FUPRO visited the Netherlands in numerous occasions for exchanges with LTO and French farmers or to present vegetables on the Rotterdam AGF fair. Staff of NLTO commented on plans of FUPRO to start a demonstration farm for sustainable agricultural production. In 2003 NLTO directors were involved in the reorganisation discussions in FUPRO that ultimately gave the cotton growers branch status and representation as branch in the FUPRO board.
In 2002 Klaas Jan Osinga visited FUPRO for the first time participating in a conference on organic cotton. This niche product was seen as a way out of the crisis in cotton that was due to low prices. These were attributed to the subsidized exports from the United States, the second biggest exporter in the world. Indebtness of cotton producers was the result. Yet, the study did not give evidence that this could become a solution for the cotton sector of Benin. The monopolist position of the state ginnery seemed to be more urgent to change. During the IFAP World farmers Conference in 2003 in Washington, Osinga introduced FUPRO directors to the National Cotton Council of the United States. In that occasion the FUPRO directors got two eye-openers: one to regain the market, careful designed marketing is needed to create an unique selling point for West-African cotton; and, not so much United States’ subsidized cotton but the developments in major producing countries as China and India will dictate the opportunities for West-African cotton in the world market.
The case of FUPRO shows the benefits of the contact that can be made trough the international cooperation, especially when not confined to one country but –like in this case- explicitly linking it to Dutch and French efforts and placing them in the IFAP framework.
[1] Agriterra, 1998; Agriterra, CIEPAC, AJF, CBDD, 1999
[2] http://www.farmersfightingpoverty.org/cases1-1.html
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
By looking in a Dutch mirror, 120 million farmers got organized in India
In 2001 Ria van Rossum visited India in a prospection mission, in order to pre-evaluate the potential of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Farmers’ organizations. Van Rossum was a woman farmer, member of the regional LTO organization in the West of the Netherlands (WLTO). She held at the time director positions and was president of the commission development cooperation of the LTO branch. Later she became also president of the advisory council of Agriterra, the Dutch agri-agency. In the five years in office -she stepped back in 2006 when she and her husband decided to retire and sell the farm- she was active in recruiting AgriPool personnel for many assignments. She was also instigator of the WLTO Central Africa collaboration that provided support to organizations in Rwanda, DR Congo and Kenya. In that sense, India was not her mayor contribution, but still one that shows the impact of this type of experts.
Van Rossum concluded from her prospection that the FFAP had potential, especially because of her influential and dedicated president. At the same time it lacked close links with the claimed members. In 2002 she invited president Chengal Reddy for a return visit in allusion of World Food Day. He visited in that period LTO. The relations with WLTO and the focus of Agriterra on exclusively farmers organizations helped FFAP enormously to define itself as a farmers’ organization and break away from the idea of building an NGO type of institution giving support to farmers.
From that point FFAP started to work with Agriterra on the consolidation of the federation through building linkages with 200 existing farmers associations. Van Rossum assisted in the formulation of the support project to FFAP and recruited the head of the trainings unit of WLTO to give leaderships training to FFAP directors. A few years later, FFAP had established 247 local association, trained over 1200 women farm leaders for income generating activities. More important may be for the future of the federation were the outward linkages that were institutionalized with parliamentarians (Agricultural Forum of Congressman) and with the industry (Indian Farmers and Industry Alliance). The influence of the FFAP increased on subjects as credit, access to water, protection of the home market.
Within a few years, guided by the example of farmers’ organizations around the globe, FFAP had built a respected federation with links to many farmers’ organizations in other states. The state plan for agriculture cannot be approved without FFAP have had to say something about them in the press. Advocacy, business development and effective services to members especially on agricultural technology (FFAP is a fervent advocate for biotechnology and advances innovations for agriculture) were the central issues of the ever expanding FFAP. Rural ICT, rural Olympics for young farmers and women, along with an extensive training programme marked the connection with rank and file.
Developments at this point were not longer triggered by Dutch input. Instead Agriterra started to contract the expertise of Anil Epur, the person who was responsible for the connections of FFAP with the industry, as PO-advisor. Among the various dealt by Epur stands out his involvement in introducing colleague organizations in new ICT solutions. Andhra Pradesh is Asia’s Silicon Valley. Some of mango producing associations of FFAP moved to new successes when their productive improvements, networking and advocacy made them interesting for Coca Cola to contract them as preferred supplier for its ‘Frooti’, the number one mango drink in India. Another hit was the establishment of the Confederation of Indian Farmers Associations, an initiative heavily promoted by FFAP in which it explicitly recognized the support of Agriterra and Anil Epur. This institutionalized farmer alliance groups together farmers’ organizations with a total membership of 120 million Indian farmers. Read this figure carefully and reflect on it!
The central issue that emerges from this case is that the Dutch example is that it shows farming India the mirror of its own organizational future; words chosen this way because they recall Karl Marx’ appreciation of British imperialism in India. Chengal Reddy looked into the mirror and knew what to do.
Van Rossum concluded from her prospection that the FFAP had potential, especially because of her influential and dedicated president. At the same time it lacked close links with the claimed members. In 2002 she invited president Chengal Reddy for a return visit in allusion of World Food Day. He visited in that period LTO. The relations with WLTO and the focus of Agriterra on exclusively farmers organizations helped FFAP enormously to define itself as a farmers’ organization and break away from the idea of building an NGO type of institution giving support to farmers.
From that point FFAP started to work with Agriterra on the consolidation of the federation through building linkages with 200 existing farmers associations. Van Rossum assisted in the formulation of the support project to FFAP and recruited the head of the trainings unit of WLTO to give leaderships training to FFAP directors. A few years later, FFAP had established 247 local association, trained over 1200 women farm leaders for income generating activities. More important may be for the future of the federation were the outward linkages that were institutionalized with parliamentarians (Agricultural Forum of Congressman) and with the industry (Indian Farmers and Industry Alliance). The influence of the FFAP increased on subjects as credit, access to water, protection of the home market.
Within a few years, guided by the example of farmers’ organizations around the globe, FFAP had built a respected federation with links to many farmers’ organizations in other states. The state plan for agriculture cannot be approved without FFAP have had to say something about them in the press. Advocacy, business development and effective services to members especially on agricultural technology (FFAP is a fervent advocate for biotechnology and advances innovations for agriculture) were the central issues of the ever expanding FFAP. Rural ICT, rural Olympics for young farmers and women, along with an extensive training programme marked the connection with rank and file.
Developments at this point were not longer triggered by Dutch input. Instead Agriterra started to contract the expertise of Anil Epur, the person who was responsible for the connections of FFAP with the industry, as PO-advisor. Among the various dealt by Epur stands out his involvement in introducing colleague organizations in new ICT solutions. Andhra Pradesh is Asia’s Silicon Valley. Some of mango producing associations of FFAP moved to new successes when their productive improvements, networking and advocacy made them interesting for Coca Cola to contract them as preferred supplier for its ‘Frooti’, the number one mango drink in India. Another hit was the establishment of the Confederation of Indian Farmers Associations, an initiative heavily promoted by FFAP in which it explicitly recognized the support of Agriterra and Anil Epur. This institutionalized farmer alliance groups together farmers’ organizations with a total membership of 120 million Indian farmers. Read this figure carefully and reflect on it!
The central issue that emerges from this case is that the Dutch example is that it shows farming India the mirror of its own organizational future; words chosen this way because they recall Karl Marx’ appreciation of British imperialism in India. Chengal Reddy looked into the mirror and knew what to do.
Dutch regional farmers union helps to built independent Thai farmers federation
The involvement of the farmers in the south of Netherlands with Thailand remotes to the late 1970s and 1980s, times of the criticism of development agencies on the import of cassava as feeder crop for cattle. The imbalanced growth of our national herd and the corresponding manure and environmental problems were illustrated by the 7 hectares outside the Netherlands that were needed to feed the cows grazing one hectare at home. Contact in Thailand centred around a Dutch expatriate and a NGO support by Cebemo, a catholic development agency of those days.
Directly after the foundation of Agriterra in 1998, ZLTO approached Agriterra in order to coordinate its activities in Thailand. From the situation as observed by the Agriterra liaison officer we learned that the institute that was supported by ZLTO was no farmers association, but in fact an NGO dependent from the Ministry of Agriculture. To built and support an independent farmers’ organization, which was the intention of both the ZLTO as some of the Thai involved, required two steps, breaking away form the ministry and bringing the NGO under democratic farmer governance.
Kees van Bohemen visited in the period up to 2006 approximately a dozen times the country and was involved in the transition, advising by given the example of development of the farmers association in southern Netherlands. In return visits, ZLTO branches illustrated their policy preparation, negotiations and advocacy at all organizational levels, having their guests participate in meetings and special workshops. Strategically strengthening the farmers organization in ten districts, FAD (as was the initially chosen name) achieved to organize approximately 20.000 farmers and rural women, mostly clustering existing associations. Through well directed training on leadership and election of directors at all levels, a solid organization was built. Agriterra assisted in the building up of the national secretariat with function descriptions, procedures and communication.
The relation with Thailand is well embedded in the ZLTO. Its president and several directors and employees have visited the country. Missions to the country and return visits are well covered in the (Nieuwe) Oogst, the magazine of LTO. Contributions of members are collected locally and from 2005 onwards the local branches started to contribute to the upper levels of FAD. All offices centrally and in the districts count with computerized member registrations. The building up on district level counted with the support of the government. Advocacy on the debts of farmers resulted in a major debt reduction and a strong focus on savings & credit institutions, in a fruit collaboration with the Credit Union league of Thailand (CULT) and technical advise from ACCU, the Thailand based Asian Association of Credit Unions, a long time relation of several Dutch agencies. SorKorPor as it was re-baptized, became member of the newly established Asian Farmer Alliance, born from Agriterra’s involvement with the Philippine NGO Asiadhrra. For the coming years, SorKorPor will be a frontrunner in trying to bring the focus of its activities and the corresponding development cooperation to the lower levels of the organization building strength at grass roots level.
The central lesson from this case is the force of the combination of understanding of the development context, the expertise of Agriterra’s liaison officers, in combination with the specific organizational expertise of ZLTO.
Directly after the foundation of Agriterra in 1998, ZLTO approached Agriterra in order to coordinate its activities in Thailand. From the situation as observed by the Agriterra liaison officer we learned that the institute that was supported by ZLTO was no farmers association, but in fact an NGO dependent from the Ministry of Agriculture. To built and support an independent farmers’ organization, which was the intention of both the ZLTO as some of the Thai involved, required two steps, breaking away form the ministry and bringing the NGO under democratic farmer governance.
Kees van Bohemen visited in the period up to 2006 approximately a dozen times the country and was involved in the transition, advising by given the example of development of the farmers association in southern Netherlands. In return visits, ZLTO branches illustrated their policy preparation, negotiations and advocacy at all organizational levels, having their guests participate in meetings and special workshops. Strategically strengthening the farmers organization in ten districts, FAD (as was the initially chosen name) achieved to organize approximately 20.000 farmers and rural women, mostly clustering existing associations. Through well directed training on leadership and election of directors at all levels, a solid organization was built. Agriterra assisted in the building up of the national secretariat with function descriptions, procedures and communication.
The relation with Thailand is well embedded in the ZLTO. Its president and several directors and employees have visited the country. Missions to the country and return visits are well covered in the (Nieuwe) Oogst, the magazine of LTO. Contributions of members are collected locally and from 2005 onwards the local branches started to contribute to the upper levels of FAD. All offices centrally and in the districts count with computerized member registrations. The building up on district level counted with the support of the government. Advocacy on the debts of farmers resulted in a major debt reduction and a strong focus on savings & credit institutions, in a fruit collaboration with the Credit Union league of Thailand (CULT) and technical advise from ACCU, the Thailand based Asian Association of Credit Unions, a long time relation of several Dutch agencies. SorKorPor as it was re-baptized, became member of the newly established Asian Farmer Alliance, born from Agriterra’s involvement with the Philippine NGO Asiadhrra. For the coming years, SorKorPor will be a frontrunner in trying to bring the focus of its activities and the corresponding development cooperation to the lower levels of the organization building strength at grass roots level.
The central lesson from this case is the force of the combination of understanding of the development context, the expertise of Agriterra’s liaison officers, in combination with the specific organizational expertise of ZLTO.
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