Vision and mission of AgriCord

Our vision 

For AgriCord the basic understanding is that strong producer organisations (PO's) are self-sustained, democratic and genuinely representative, viable and autonomous. They must have or develop the capacity to improve the food and livelihood security (living conditions) of members at the economic level (income generation) as well as at the social level (farmers in civil society). These organisations deserve intensive support to guarantee: 

• The viability of rural areas, especially in a context of growing and inevitable urbanisation. 
• The future of family-based agriculture. 
• A viable agriculture and sustainable management of human and natural resources for productive purposes and control of market forces by civil society. 

Such commitment doesn't reflect any intention or wish to promote or to "export" whatever model of organisation or type of development. Development policies as well as agricultural policies, and the development paths of the organisations themselves, must be formulated by these organisations and by the farmers. The theme of the IFAP World Farmers Congres in 2004 "Farmers Speak For Themselves" clearly stresses this point. 

The approach is therefore very clearly demand-driven. Project ideas are proposed to AgriCord by PO's following a standard procedure, and ultimately implemented by the PO's themselves. Agri-agencies are involved for advisory services as well as for the usual (administrative and financial) project cycle follow-up. Agri-agencies concentrate therefore on their comparative advantage, as brokers, facilitators. 

Agri-agencies believe in direct support of strategic plans of PO's. It is up to them to select service delivery and other crucial actors for cooperation. Agri-agencies also invest in weak and emerging PO's, who don’t have the initial capacity to produce results (e.g. in fragile states) and will adapt support strategies tailored for their development. 

Agri-agencies believe in partnerships between PO's and exchange between farmers as the most legitimate, experienced, motivated and best absorbed way of acting and learning together. 

Agri-agencies see that indirect capacity building is most adequate for identity preserving development of PO's. Therefore the agri-agencies engage in long term framework contracts with PO's. Support is adapted to the context and the stage of development of PO's, in full and permanent dialogue with the PO. PO's are enabled maximally to develop their organisational identity, legitimacy and leadership. Transparency and predictability of support to PO's are considered as crucial by the agri-agencies. 

Our mission 

The mission of the agri-agencies is to strengthen farmers and rural member organisations in developing countries, by promoting an enabling environment for their strategic role and by direct support on the following 3 issues: 

• To provide better services to members, and particularly to resource poor farmers 
• To play a significant role in civil society, to defend the interests of farmers and rural members 
• To develop economic activities in support of their members.