work area 04: Institutional Development (IS)
This work area is not new. Policy development and advocacy of course also has this institutional development aspect. Yet, in this work area and over the coming years we will develop more action to link farmers organizations to outside stakeholders. We reinforce in this way the demand side and hope to find business, banks, retailers and wholesalers, research institutes and investors willing to engage with farmers organizations supplying inputs to their needs. Special attention goes to develop working methods for assessing opportunities and positioning of rural membership organizations. The activities include training courses in lobbying, advocacy techniques, business planning and contacts with external stakeholders. Farmer led market studies and investments also go to programmes of provincial branches to prepare the formation of new companies. We estimate we will be able to conduct more than 60 of such projects to position farmers organization in the arena of development.