Following the successful conclusion of the FO4ACP programme (2019–2025), IFAD has published the official Completion Report, marking the close of a six-year initiative that has transformed the landscape of farmers' organizations across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Co-funded by the European Union (EUR 50 million) and IFAD (USD 3 million), the programme positioned farmers' organizations as key drivers of rural development and inclusive growth. It reached 38 African countries, 14 Pacific nations, and 9 Caribbean states.
At the close of the programme, marketed products reached EUR 77.8 million in Africa, EUR 46.9 million in the Caribbean, and EUR 41.6 million in the Pacific, while bankable business plans unlocked millions in additional investments. Digitalization and knowledge management were central pillars, with ICT tools improving market access and monitoring, and global learning routes accelerating peer-to-peer exchanges.
AgriCord and its member agencies played an active role throughout the programme in delivering technical and institutional support to farmers' organizations on the ground. This is reflected in the accompanying Closing Event document, FO4ACP: Highlights of successes achieved and lessons learned along the way. This publication brings together case studies from across the ACP regions and includes a feature on the work carried out by AgriCord member agency We Effect in partnership with CREMPA in Malawi.
In this case study, We Effect supported the Mpasa Cooperative and the Central Region Milk Producers Association (CREMPA) in revitalizing Malawi's dairy sector amid a severe double crisis of climate shocks and economic downturn. Through the FO4ACP programme, farmers gained access to artificial insemination services, on-farm feed production, and upgraded milk cooling and storage facilities, with youth and women taking on new roles as insemination technicians, study circle leaders, and cooperative board members. The results speak for themselves: farmers like Dainess Hanele, who once struggled to sustain her herd, now earns a steady monthly income from milk sales, thanks to services made possible through this collaboration.
This case study can be found on page 3 of the Closing Event document, FO4ACP: Highlights of successes achieved and lessons learned along the way.
You can find more AgriCord impact stories from the FO4ACP programme in Africa: Here