From May 12 to 15, 2025, AgriCord, in collaboration with its Canadian agri-agency UPA DI, organized the General Assembly (GA) in Bromont, Canada. This important event brought together representatives from AgriCord’s member agri-agencies and partner Farmers’ Organizations (FOs), reaffirming the alliance’s commitment to participatory governance and collaborative decision-making.
Strengthening Solidarity and Shared Leadership
The General Assembly served as a key meeting for stakeholders to shape the strategic direction of AgriCord’s work, particularly in supporting farmers worldwide. The Programme Commission of AgriCord also met during this period, providing expert insight and guiding the operational agenda for the following year.
Spotlight on Dialogue
Alongside the core assembly sessions, AgriCord and UPA DI co-organized a pivotal day on May 13, 2025, featuring panel discussions aimed at confronting pressing global challenges and exploring the future of agricultural cooperation between farmers from the Global North and South.
The Future of Cooperation
"How will we counter the trend of everyone for themselves?"
This question, posed by Pieter Verhelst, President of AgriCord, set the tone for an important reflection on how international cooperation organizations can remain relevant and continue to support the agricultural sector in the face of a new global order.
The discussion was enriched by a panel of experts from the agricultural, academic, and international solidarity sectors, including:
- Ibrahima Coulibaly, President of the PanAfrican Farmers’ Organization;
- Kate Higgins, Executive Director of Cooperation Canada;
- Magali Delomier, Deputy Director General of the Union des producteurs agricoles;
- Dominique Caouette, Full Professor and Chairholder of the Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies Chair at the Université de Montréal.
Numerous potential solutions were raised, and all member organizations emphasized the importance of working together to continue the efforts of cooperation.
Biodiversity Protection
Even though it no longer appears to be a priority for many states, the climate crisis is still ongoing. Catastrophic weather events are becoming more frequent and disproportionately affect farmers in the Global South.
"We, the farmers of Africa, face situations that are often unimaginable for farmers in the North.The environment in Africa is deteriorating exponentially. We have no access to energy and little innovation… And yet, we feed the country!" emphasized Ibrahima Coulibaly, President of the PanAfrican Farmers’ Organization.
The complexity surrounding these asymmetries and inequalities is significant, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as expressed by the panelists:
- Chloé L’Écuyer-Sauvageau, Scientific Coordinator at the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics (CRCEE);
- Stephens Muchiri, Executive Director of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation;
- Ghalia Chahine, Coordinator – Environment, Land Use Planning, and Advisory Services at the Union des producteurs agricoles;
- Monica Kobayashi, Programme Officer at the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Following the discussions, it became clear that the agricultural and scientific communities must work together to find practical solutions that combine biodiversity protection with the prosperity of agriculture.
This Is Only the Beginning
Despite the challenges raised throughout the day, AgriCord reaffirmed its commitment to participatory governance and collaborative decision-making.
"It is important to keep an open mind and to hear different perspectives," reminded Katja Vuori, CEO of AgriCord.
This day of dialogue was only the beginning of the strategic reflection that the organization will undertake over the coming months, and even years.
Photos Credit: UPA DI