Strengthening of the partner organisation and capacity building The project includes core support to the functioning of the SACAU secretariat, including support to improved financial management and administrative systems. It will also support some key positions in the organisation, as well as some governance-related meetings. The strengthening of lobby and advocacy capacity at national level will in turn strengthen the same capacity at regional level. The project will support SACAU in revising its current strategy and developing a long term programme. The revision will be based on the findings in the external evaluation that is being carried out end of 2008.

To achieve a more equal partnership between cotton farmers and agri-businesses in contract farming that is based on fair distribution of risks, fair profit sharing and mutual growth. Target group at institutional level: Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) Main activities: a) Development of cotton commodity associations - Project launching meetings - Organization development workshops - Development of Cotton Association constitutions - General Meetings - Strategic planning meetings b) Contract negotiations - Training in contract negotiations - Market research including analyses of the cotton value chain - Partnership meetings - Negotiation planning meetings - Negotiations with agri-businesses c) Lobbying for improved legal frameworks - Policy research - Consultative meetings with members - Lobbying with Governments

The problem to be addressed by the project International, regional and bilateral agricultural trade agreements and regulations by individual countries and/or economic pacts/unions of countries in terms of import and export regulations, tariffs, duties, subsidies, etc. have a direct impact on the viability of the agricultural industry in general and the individual farmers in particular. Regional and international trade is regulated through agreements and protocols drawn up by member states of various trade pacts such as SADC, COMESA, SACU, WTO, etc. A number of various stakeholders including Governments, Private sector organisations, NGO's, donor organisations are involved in developing policies for agriculture development in the region. In this context, it is important that the farmers' interests are represented in the negotiations for trade agreements and policies that have impact on farmers' sustainability. At regional level, in the SADC region, it is SACAU's role to represent the farmers. However, because of lack of finance and human resources, SACAU has been unable to perform active lobbying and advocacy with the various stakeholders and to significantly influence policies and agreements. Services and facilitation of activities that enables farmers' to get access to produce markets and agricultural inputs is a key role for most farmers' organizations in the region. In the small-scale farming sector this service include facilitation and coordination of bulk marketing of produce and bulk buying of inputs and to assist farmers in entering into contract farming arrangements. However, in order for this facilitation and coordination to be effective there is need for information flow between local/intermediate ? national ? regional levels. Currently, there is no effective information systems in place that enables the small-scale farmers and their associations to get access to information about available markets, trade opportunities, producer prices, prices on inputs, trade regulations, etc. and there is no system in place that enables farmers and traders to link up with each other and enter into business agreements. Finance The SACAU Regional Trade Desk project will be integrated and a component in the ongoing SACAU capacity building project. In the ongoing project, SCC has committed a total of Euro 174,000.00,for the period 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2005, mainly for operational costs of the SACAU secretariat, SACAU meeting activities and some development activities. These funds are not included in the budget for this project.

The problem to be addressed by the project SACAU has not had the capacity to make an inventory and a profiling of farmers' organisations in existence in the region. With lack of information about existing FO's, the SACAU has been unable to create awareness about its role and how the FO's can benefit from membership and mobilise FO's to join SACAU. Currently, due to low membership, SACAU's representation is limited to member organisations in only four of the 14 SADC member states. Without more members SACAU faces the risk of not being adequately recognized by various players nationally, regionally and internationally and not be able to effectively influence agricultural policies in the region. Low membership, also limits the number of FO's that are able to benefit from SACAU services. The Project Objective The objective is to enable SACAU to become more representative in the region through increased membership and improved capacity among members to effectively address the needs of the farmers in respective country. Finance The Profiling and member mobilisation project will be integrated and a component in the ongoing SACAU capacity building project. In the ongoing project, SCC has committed a total of Euro 174,000.00,for the period 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2005, mainly for operational costs of the SACAU secretariat, SACAU meeting activities and some development activities. These funds are not included in the budget for this project.