IFAD: Origins and Mandate

Partnership between IFAD and Farmers' Organizations

IFAD and the partnership with Farmers’ Organisations

OECD Regional Outreach Event Sub-Saharan Africa Senegal, Saly 3-4 October 2006


IFAD: Origins and Mandate

ORIGINS

• The thirteenth specialized Agency of the United Nations

• Established in 1977, following a resolution of the International Food Conference in Rome in 1974

MANDATE

• To combat hunger and rural poverty in developing countries

• To improve the livelihoods of rural poor people on a sustainable basis


IFAD Strategic Objectives 2002-2006

• Strengthening the capacity of the rural poor and their organizations

• Improving equitable access to productive natural resources and technology

• Increasing access to financial services and markets

ENABLING THE RURAL POOR TO OVERCOME THEIR POVERTY


IFAD and partnership

IFAD given its mandate has always worked in partnership with the governments and national stakeholders through its supported operations and IFAD’s contribution to these partnerships has increased over time, going beyond its original funding role to include poverty analysis, targeting, project design and pro-poor advocacy.


Some examples on other forms of partnership

• the partnership with OECD and France for the P3A project • the support and collaboration with the Hub• the inputs for the latest mandate of OECD POVNET on Pro-

Poor Growth and Agriculture • the partnership between IFAD and IFPRI regional office on

PRSP monitoring and capacity building processes in Western and Central Africa

Examples of IFAD partnership beyond the partnership with governments and those being developed with Farmers Organisations are present in this room:


IFAD and partnership with Farmers and Rural Producers’ Organisations:

an evolving process


Looking at the past

• A tradition of inclusive participatory approaches in project implementation at grassroots level

• but ...less in project design, in strategy formulation and in policy dialogue

• A tradition of support to Community Based Organisations, self help groups and other grassroots rural institutions (sometimes creating new ones through government services and NGOs with risk of dependency and weak sustainability..)

• Much less experience in working in partnership with – and in support of - higher level producers organizations (regional, national, international)


Breakthrough

• Operational partnerships in projects & programmes... (Mali in 1998, India in 2001, Senegal in 2003-2004, Rwanda 2004-2005)

...and beyond

• President of IFAD addresses the IFAP congress in 2002 • Support to African Farmers Organisations on the agricultural

policy of NEPAD• Support to ROPPA on the agricultural policy of ECOWAS • FOs involvement the West Africa rural development “Hub”• Support to the establishment of a ministerial/FOs platform in the

regional integration process of South America (REAF- MERCOSUR)

… all these processes converged and evolved towards…


The Farmers’ Forum initiative

The concept of institutionalising partnership between IFAD and FOs started in 2004 and early 2005 with two workshops at IFAD with farmers’ leaders from the 5 world regions (comprising global movements such as IFAP and La Via Campesina)

… an emerging consensus for:

THE FARMERS’ FORUM INITIATIVE

“An ongoing bottom up process, a space of consultation and dialogue between Farmers’ Organisations, Governments and

IFAD”


The process of the Farmers Forum

NATIONAL CONSULTATIONS and POLICY DIALOGUE between Farmers Organisations, Governments, and IFAD

REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS and POLICY DIALOGUE between Regional FOs Networks and IFAD (and regional trade platforms?)

FARMERS’ FORUM Global Meeting

Every two years in conjunction with IFAD Governing Council

feeding into …

shaping …


Not only talks, but commitments to concrete partnership

Synthesis of Deliberations of the Farmers Forum 2006Mayor recommendations to IFAD

• Systematic involvement of FOs in design, implementation, and evaluation of IFAD projects

• Definition of a Code of Conduct to guide interactions between IFAD and Farmers Organisations

• Provision of direct financing for capacity building of FOs as prioritised by FOs

• Support to an evaluation of the impact of regional market integration policies and market liberalisation on family agriculture

• Broaden the support to regional platforms of dialogue and negotiations between FOs and governments within regional integration processes


The partnership in Western and Central Africa

• IFAD in support of FOs agenda in terms of both services provided to their members and engagement in policy initiatives

• FOs contributing and shaping IFAD agendas and strategies

… without adding little projects that could distract FOs from their long-term institutional developments

The process is built upon existing partnership built over the last 5 years particularly in Mali and Senegal and it is based on the principles of :


Steps so far and in the near future

At regional level:

• Support to ROPPA to strengthen its communication strategy and linkages with the national APEX Farmers Organisations

• Support to ROPPA for a Africa continental FOs input in the NEPAD/CAADP design process

• Support for the involvement of FOs during the implementation and monitoring of the NEPAD/CAADP

• Support to the Niamey Forum on Food Sovereignty in November 2007

• A component of IFAD/FAO global support to the EPA process between ACP regional blocks and EU

• “Farmers’ Africa” Grant programme in support of capacity building, policy dialogue activities (USD 1.2 million for SSA Africa)


At national level

• Some support for profiling of FOs and support for their shaping their strategic plans

• Capacity building of national FOs on the basis on the FOs strategic plans

• Support for a systematic involvement of FOs in the IFAD country programme (supported through loans, grants and with policy dialogue initiatives)

• Support to FOs for systematic and effective involvement in national policy processes (e.g. PRSPs)

… the initial set of countries is: Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

Beyond the ongoing collaboration financed through the loan supported activities (e.g. the PSAOP II in Senegal approved in September 2006), the approach has been targeted to:

IFAD: Origins and Mandate

Documents

Transcript of IFAD: Origins and Mandate