WHO ARE WE ?

Name: PNOPPA-Bénin
Date of establishment: March, 17th 2006 in Bohicon
NON-PROFIT ASSOCIATION governed by the law of July, 1st 1901 and its decree of enforcement, Civil Code, its by-laws.
PNOPPA is registered to the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Benin under N° C/SAG N°4585 of October, 10th 2006 and published in Official Journal of the Republic of Benin under n°2007/0252 DEP-ATL-LITT-SG-SAG-ASSOC of July, 03rd 2007 .

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

1. FUPRO-BENIN: Federation of Beninese Farmers’ Unions
2. GEA-BENIN: Group of Beninese Famers
3. ONPB: National Organization of Beninese Farmers
4. ANEP: National Association of Pig rearers
5. UNAPEMAB: National Union of Sea Fishermen and Persons of equivalent sector of Benin
6. ANAB: National Association of Beninese Poultry Farmers
7. FNPPH: National Federation of Palm oil Producers
8. ANOPER: National Association of Professional Organizations of Ruminant Breeders
9. SYNPA: Farmer Synergy
10. WOMEN COLLEG of Beninese FOs
11. FENAPAB: National Federation of Beninese cashew farmers

MANAGING BODIES

• General Assembly : supreme and sovereign authority of decision-making made-up of the Platform member organizations delegates (Art. 17)
• Board of Directors : comprises fifteen (15) members distributed between the platform founding member organizations and tasked with executing decisions from the General Assembly and good functioning of the organization (Art. 28 et 29)
• Executive Bureau : made-up of nine (09) members within the Board and in charge of the daily management of PNOPPA-BENIN (Art. 29)
• Monitoring committee: comprises three (03) members of which the designation is up to the General Assembly. It takes care of the good management of the platform patrimonies (Art. 34)

VISION

• A credible, dynamic and representative structure for the defense of a family and professional farming integrated to the national, regional and international market that guarantees food security and sovereignty ;
• A group of pressure, inter-farmer solidarity and agricultural professionals who strongly influences agricultural policies within national, regional and international structures on common issues to the Farmer Organizations and Agricultural Professionals ;
• A breeding ground for the strengthening of the systems of information, communication and trainings intended for grassroots Farmer Organizations and Agricultural Professionals
• Lastly, an autonomous, well governed and pro-active with a big credibility.

MISSION

Contributing to the improvement of farmers’ welfare through the defense of agricultural profession interests, setting up and rooting of the agricultural sector development instruments, modernization of family farming, promotion of agricultural, forestry and pastoral sectors, advocacy/lobbying and permanent surveillance in agricultural sector

OBJECTIVES OF PNOPPA

• Taking care of the preservation of unity, solidarity, dialogue and cohesiveness within the farmer movement and agricultural producers in the Republic of Benin ;
• Defending Beninese farmers’ interests and their organizations ;
• Working to the drawing up and implementation of national policies and programmes in line with agricultural development adapted to the characteristics of Beninese farmers ;
• Contributing to the institutional, organizational capacity-building and management of its members ;
• Promoting and defending the values of a competitive and sustainable farmer agriculture to the service of family farms and agricultural producers ;
• Ensuring the representation of Beninese FOs in national, regional and international institutions and all the other fairs at the continental and international level on cross-cutting issues.
• Favoring consultation and cooperation between similar institutions

CONTACTS

Tél: 00229 21 37 72 88
Email: pnoppa_benin@yahoo.fr / contact@pnoppa_benin.org
Site: www.pnoppa-benin.org

PRESENTATION OF THE CONFEDERATION PAYSANNE DU FASO ( CPF)

Historical background of CPF

Before, the mission of CPF was taken on by an informal structure called « consultation framework of umbrella farmer organizations (CCOF) ». Breeding ground of a fruitful dialogue between farmers, CCOF evolved in 2002 to give birth to a new unifying organization of the organized rural world. Therefore, the Confédération Paysanne du Faso (Farmer Confederation of Faso) has been founded following a farmer congress held in Bobo-Dioulasso in 2002.
It is a platform comprising 14 umbrella organizations, governed by the law 14/99/AN dealing with the regulation of cooperative companies and groups in Burkina Faso. To enable small-scale farmers work safely and live decently on their work.
The Confédération Paysanne du Faso is member of the Network of farmer organizations and agricultural producers of West Africa (ROPPA) that is headquartered in Ouagadougou.

Address

01 BP 2978 Ouagadougou 01
TEL/FAX : (226) 25 30 18 44
E-mail : cpf@fasonet.bf
Site : www.cpfburkina.org
BURKINA FASO

Federations and unions members of CPF

Federation of livestock rearers in Burkina Faso
National federation of women in Burkina
National federation of wood and non-wood forestry products operators ;
National federation of unions and groups for forestry management
National federation of young agricultural professionals in Faso
National federation of bananas farmers
Union of groups for the marketing of agricultural products
National Union of rice parboilers in Burkina Faso
National Union of mini-dairies and small-scale producers of local milk
National Union of cotton farmers in Burkina Faso
National Union of mango farmers in Burkina Faso
National Union of rice farmers in Burkina Faso
National Union of seed farmers in Burkina Faso

VISION

CPF has built a vision around family farming, attached to the principle of food sovereignty and claiming to be a sustainable, productive and competitive agriculture guaranteeing the access to land and land security for all the categories of farmers.
Its vision on development concept rests among others on:

• An agriculture based itself on mixed farming with diversified agricultural activities within family farms, a same actor intervening on several specialized agricultural areas or agricultural sectors ;
• Food sovereignty or right of any people to produce, feed itself and live decently on its work, freedom to sell off its crops everywhere without dumping. To address the challenge of food security and sovereignty in Burkina Faso, farmers’ organizations, through their confederation, committing for a sustained increase in agricultural, forestry and pastoral productions. This increase in agricultural production requires modernizing family farms that involves a sustainable and secured access to production factors. This modernization is in line with the development of sectors allowing the generation of value-addition, incomes and a significant contribution to the economic development of rural households. The development and modernization of family farming requires :
• Taking into account of this model of agriculture in public agricultural policies ;
• Recognition and valorization of the farmer work ;
• Organizational and institutional strengthening of FOs to guarantee their credibility.
  Focusing on those stakes and drawing lessons from its actions, since a decade, CPF has designed a strategic plan 2015-2019. It has as goal to improve farmers’ livelihoods through the taking into account of family farming as model of production ensuring food security and sovereignty in Burkina Faso. This plan has four strategic objectives that are as follows
• Making family farming a major orientation of agricultural public policies to serve as lever to food sovereignty;
• Making modernization of family farm an alternative to the model of modern agriculture and agri-businesses;
• Making vocational training of rural young people/rural women and their professional integration , a source for the strengthening of agricultural work and poverty reduction in rural area ;
• Ensuring the organizational and institutional capacity-building of CFP as lever of credibility.

MANDATE

• Being a framework of exchange and consultation ;
• Ensuring the defense of material and moral interests of member organizations;
• Accompanying the professionalization of farmers.

MISSIONS

• Promoting solidarity between member confederation organizations ;
• Advocacy and lobbying ;
• Consultation and cooperation between the confederation and other umbrella organizations at the national, sub-regional and international level ;
• Negotiation with State and development partners on common issues to member organizations at the national and international level (orientation of agricultural policy, land issue, code of investments in agriculture and livestock, etc.) ;
• Representation of its members at the national and international level complying with the subsidiarity principle;
• Collection, processing and dissemination of general (affecting the rural world) and specific (based on member organizations’ request). Data.

BODIES AND FUNCTIONING

The following bodies govern its functioning:

• A General Assembly that sets big orientations ;
• A Board of Directors ;
• A management Board ;
• A control committee ;
• A standing secretariat.

Site: www.cpfburkina.org

Founded on May, 19th 1998, the Association Nationale des Organisations Professionnelles Agricoles de Côte d’Ivoire, (ANOPACI) has within it 30 member associations and two specialized bodies (women and youth).

At the organizational level, ANOPACI has a General Assembly (made-up of all the member associations with 5 delegates per Agricultural Professional Organizations, with one deliberating vote per organization) , a Board made-up of 30 members. Some commissions can be set up to address priority themes. An Executive Secretariat ensures the daily management of the Association and comprises an Executive Secretary and officers.

The goals of ANOPACI consist of:

(i) ensuring the defense of farmers’ interests,

(ii) promoting the professionalization of agriculture,

(iii) improving incomes and livelihoods of farmers and

(iv) valorizing the work of the farmer.

Internal resources of ANOPACI stem from;

(i) membership dues and contributions of farmers,

(ii) service provisions of the Association and

(iii) donations of some members.

Regarding external resources, they are constituted of subsidies, donations, legacy and others.

CONTACTS

situation géographique, Abidjan Cocody, Cité des Arts.
Contact Secrétariat Exécutif: Tél (+225) 22 44 11 76,
E-mail: anopaci@yahoo.fr
Site: www.erails.net/CI/anopaci/anopaci

Background

The National Coordinating Organization for Farmers Association The Gambia (NACOFAG) is a network of farmers and producer organizations established in 2000 recognized by The Gambia Government as a self-help institution to coordinate farmers and producers organizations’ activities in order to ensure their active and effective participation in nation building.
NACOFAG is a founder member of the West African Peasant and Producers Organizations Network called ROPPA (French acronym).

VISION

By 2020 peasants and producer organizations have food security and are self-sufficient and have sovereignty through an effective coordination and communication mechanism.

MISSION

To reinforce and protect the interest of peasants and producer organizations with an enabling policy to guide the welfare of the members.

VALUES

Solidarity, coalition and networking

STRUCTURE

A. The General Congress
B. Annual General Assembly
C. Women’s Wing
D. Youth Wing
E. National Executive Board
F. Coordinating Office (Secretariat)

MEMBERSHIP

It has a total membership of 18,201 from 15 different farmers’ organizations (AFET, NFPG, NAYAFS, NAWFA, FANDEMA, REFESA, FISH Smokers’ ASSOCIATION, Livestock Owners Association, NCGA, Maize Growers’ Association, National Food Processors, All Gambia Forestry Platform, Sheppard and cattle farmers Association, Rice Farmers Association and Freedom from Hunger Campaign).

OBJECTIVES

A. To promote and defend the values of an efficient and sustainable small holder agriculture
B. To promote solidarity and regional integration among farmers’ organizations,
C. To build and reinforce the capacities of its members for effective participation in lobbying and advocacy.
D. To protect and reinforce the family farm concept.
E. To promote food sufficiency and sovereignty.

ACTIVITIES

1. Agriculture and related activities
2. Capacity Building
3. Lobbying and Advocacy
4. Peace Building
5. Women and Youth empowerment

ACHIEVEMENTS

Despite some challenges NACOFAG has achieved the following programmes:

A. Distribution of gardening tools to members
B. Participation in international fora on policy formulation and decision making processes.
C. Training of Trainers (ToT) on strategies and proposal development.
D. Awareness creation on issues affecting farmers,
E. Acquisition of a land for office space in Brikama, in the West Coast.
F. Enable its members to participate in sub-regional and national trade fairs

CHALLENGES

1. Logistic for enabling the secretariat to monitor members’ activities at grass root level,
2. Inadequate funding to construct the office space,
3. Insufficient funding to build the capacities of farmers on quality production and productivity (value chain).
4. Lack of mobility to monitor the activities of the farmers regularly and at all times.
5. The effects of climate change on adequate crop production has been challenging over the years.
6. Availability of simple farm tools for the majority of farmers especially women and youth remain a challenge.
7. Limited data on market information systems to enhance marketing and productivity.
8. Limited capacity and knowledge on value addition.

CONTACT

Tel: 00220 995 42 51
Émail: nacofag100@hotmail.com

Background information

Name of Organisation: Farmers Organisation Network In Ghana (FONG)

Date of Establishment: FONG was formed in September 2003

Overview of Farmers Organisation Network in Ghana

Farmers Organization Network in Ghana (FONG) operates as an apex body of a network of small scale farmer and fisher based organizations in Ghana. FONG is a member of Reseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs Agricoles de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA) located in Burkina Faso with affiliate member organisations in twelve (12) West African countries namely; Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

FONG is officially and legally registered in Ghana and tagged with registration no G11653 at the Registrar General’s Department, Accra, Ghana and also registered, bearing no D.S.W/2346 at the Social Welfare Department, Accra, Ghana.

Organs of the Organisation

The highest decision making body is the General Assembly. The President of the network is also elected by the General Assembly who has oversight supervisory role of the Executive Council. The role of the President and the Executive Council are to act on behalf of the General Assembly and implement the programmes of the Network. FONG has a National secretariat and three zonal secretariats based in the northern, middle and southern zones/belts of Ghana respectively, all involved in the day-to-day operations of the network. The National Secretariat is based in Accra, Ghana.

Structure of the Organisation

The organization is made up of the following:

• The General Assembly
• The President
• The Executive Council
• The National Secretariat
• The Advisory Board

Agricultural activities of network members

The activities of members centre on the production of the following: rice, maize, soya bean, vegetables, yam, cassava, shea butter, oil palm, banana, plantain. Processing activities engaged by members includes shea butter extraction, cassava/garri making, fish processing/smoking etc. Some members are also engaged in livestock rearing.

The objectives of FONG are to:

• share information and experiences among member farmers’ organizations through meetings, seminars, exchange visits/tours and joint implementation of projects
• build and enhance the capacity of its members to enable them achieve their aimes.
• communicate and explain government agricultural policy/policies to network farmer groups and relay their feedback on it/them to government.
• act as an intermediary between development partners and member network farmer groups regarding program support

The organizational strength of FONG includes but not limited to the following:

• Internationally and nationally recognised and a member of ROPPA through participation in policy dialogues and agricultural programmes.
• Well qualified key staff recruited to manage both National and Zonal Secretariats.
• A gender oriented organisation with a Womens’ Wing (Women’s College) established.
• Members’ capacities have been built in various topics relevant to their production and business activities through training workshops, learning visits and exchange tours.
• FONG has in the past received funding support locally and internationally from Agrittera, IFAD, European Union, FAO, OXFAM, UPADI and currently, ROPPA.
• FONG has close to a total of 4,500 active network members. More new members are currently joining the organisation and data on network members is being updated as a result.
• The organization advocates for good agricultural policies for smallholder farmers and acts as the mouthpiece of farmers.
• A good relationship exists between FONG and other state and non-state actors.
• Sharing of skills and knowledge amongst members (training, workshops, learning visits and exchange visits).
• Active participation of FONG in the World Rural Women’s Day and World’s Food Day celebrations in Ghana.
• Gained local and international recognition – It is a member of Ghana Federation of Agricultural Producers, ROPPA and PAFO which are agriculture oriented organisations.

Vision

A leading national Farmer Based Organisation contributing to food security and sustainable livelihoods in Ghana through agri-business, training and advocacy.

Mission Statement

To enable the formation of a network of small scale farmers and fisher based organisations in Ghana and to empower individuals and members to contribute towards agricultural development, economic growth and sustainable use of natural resources.

Guiding principles

• Accountability
• Transparency
• Friendship
• Participation
• Partnership
• Networking

Organizational Documents

In order to guide and direct the day to day running of the organization, FONG possess and relies on the following documents:

• Constitution
• Accounting manual
• Operational manual
• Human resource manual
• Communication strategy document

Audit

FONG’s accounts are audited by qualified Auditors annually.

Some achievements

• Formed agribusiness cluster groups in the northern region of Ghana
• Celebrates annually the World Rural Women’s Day which falls on the 15th of October
• Sensitized farmers and other key stake holders on policies like EPA, ECOWAP, CAADP etc

Contact Details

Postal Address:

P.O. Box DK 216
Darkuman
Accra-Ghana

Physical Address(Office location):

Opposite Darkuman Total Filling Station
Off Kaneshie market- Odokor-Mallam Road
Accra-Ghana

Telephone numbers:

Office telephone: +233-302326880
E-mail address: farmersorganisation@yahoo.com ; info@fongh.org
Website www.fongh.org
facebook: www.facebook.com/farmersorganisation

Contact Persons

Dr. King-David Amoah
(FONG President)
Cellphone: 00233-24-3863567, 00233-20-4258908
E-mail address: kdkamoah@yahoo.com

Mr. David Yemo Tetteh Odoi
(National Co-ordinator)
Cellphone: 00233-27-2986994
Email: davidodoi3000@yahoo.com

Management

David Y. T. Odoi (National Coordinator)
Samuel Essah (Finance/Administrative Officer)
Helena Azu-Adjei (Gender Desk Officer)
Lydia Sasu (National Women’s Leader)
Adotei Brown (Southern Zone Coordinator)
Esther Boakye(Middle Zone Coordinator)
Mohamed Adams (Northern Zone Coordinator)

Website: www.fongh.org

Phone: (+224) 622 59 34 38)
Email: paysansdeguinee@yahoo.com
Website: www.erails.net/GN/cnop/cnopg

Phone contact: (+245) 660 66 96
Email: roppaguineebissau@yahoo.fr

BASIC INFORMATION

Name of Organization: Farmers Union Network of Liberia
Acronym: FUN
Head Office Address: Wood Camp, Paynesville - Liberia
Mailing Address: PO Box 229, 1000 Monrovia 10
Liberia
Phone/Cell: (+231) (0) 886545786 / 0888242274
E-mail: farmersliberia@yahoo.com
Website: funlib.org
President/Board of Governance: Mrs. Josephine George Francis
Contact person: Mr. Julius M. Bass
Designation: National Coordinator
Contact Address: Wood Camp, Paynesville- Liberia
Year of Establishment: 05 April, 2008
Place of Establishment: Monrovia, “Liberia”
Legal status: Registered February 15, 2008 as a Non-Governmental organization

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The vision of FUN was conceived by Mrs. Josephine George Francis, a passion-driven Smallholder Liberian Farmer and farmer representatives from five counties of the Republic of Liberia established the Farmers Union Network (FUN) in Monrovia on February 15 2008, to act as an umbrella or mother organization for all farmers and farmer organizations or activities in Liberia.

Their idea/endeavor was structured to be a non-profit, non-political, and membership-based organization with the below objectives:

GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

Goal:

Improved livelihood of farmers and increased in food sovereignty in Liberia.

Objectives:

1. To equip registered farmers and/or their groups with latest farming techniques and technologies when there is a need.

2. To ensure those farmers’ concerns and interests is promptly forwarded to national and international decision making bodies for appropriate and prompt redress.

3. To ensure that registered individual and group farmers have timely access to markets and resources (eg. farming inputs).

Existing projects

Project #1:

Name: Agriculture Sector Rehabilitation Project (ASRP) Extension Project

Donor: International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)

Key Objective (s):
i. Food security through increased food production in the rural communities (ensuring production and dissemination of certified seeds (rice and cassava) peanuts, vegetables etc.
ii. Improve the productive capacity of 280 lead farmers through rehabilitation of agriculture and other basic infrastructure and promote social cohesion of vulnerable farmers in the four target counties. (Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado and Grand Bassa)

Key Activity #1: Introduction of mechanization as pilot in Bomi
Key Activity #2: Distribution Inputs

Project #2:

Name: IT67

Donor: International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)

Key Objective:

Key Activity #1: Support FUN’s consultative process and the mobilization of farmer’s organization.
Key Activity #2: Support FUN platforms at the decentralized level in developing led activities on specific value chain.
Key Activity #3: Support FUN’s in its Information dissemination and advocacy mission on key issues.
Key Activity #4: Support FUN in strengthening its organizational and institutional support.

Project #3:

Name: Women College

Donor: WILDAF (Fight Against Women Farmers in West Africa) a regional program:

Key Objective:

Key Activity #1: Advocacy (women farmers access to land, credit facilitates, information, technology)
Key Activity #2: Human Right education and campaign against violence on women and children
Key Activity #3: Legal Assistance

Target Population / Number of Beneficiaries: 35,000 farmers in Montserrado, Margibi and Bong (Twenty communities)

Project #4:

Name: Support to Farmers Organizations in Africa (SFOAP)

Donor: ROPPA

Key Objective:

Key Activity #1: Provide institutional support to National platform
Key Activity #2: Provide back stopping support in the form of training,
capacity building, searching for donors and support to
regional platform.

Project #5:

Name: Forest Farm Facility (FFF) Project

Donor: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Key Objective: To Strengthen smallholder, women, communities and IPs
producer organisations for business/livelihoods and policy
engagement.

Key Activity #1: conduct training for Forest and Farm Enterprise Development. Strengthen smallholder, women, communities and IPs producers organization for business, livelihood while sustainably managing the Forest and Farm resources and strengthening their policy engagement.
Key Activity #2: Conduct in-country exchange visits from forest/farmer producers to forest/farm producers. Empower the farm and forest producers network and their members through capacity building and exchange visits to take concrete and informed actions for sustainable management of forest.
Key Activity #3: Increase the capacity of FUN-staff and members on different issues

Existing donors.

• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Target Population / Number of Beneficiaries: Forest and Farm Producers

Budget of year: 2015

• Budget: Ninety-nine thousand, Four hundred and sixty United States Dollars ( US$99,460.00)

Offices of FUN

Number of Offices:

• Head Office: 01
• Field Offices: 15
• Total Offices: 14

Operational Areas of FUN

Fifteen (15) Counties of Liberia

Type of beneficiaries

Smallholder / rural farmers and group of Farmers- youth, women, etc..

Staff Position of FUN

Total: 96
Male: 66
Female: 30

Senior Staff of FUN

Mr. Julius M. Bass
Position: National Coordinator,
Educational qualification: Student, Public Administration with emphasis in Public Policy, graduate program, Cuttington University College, Congo Town.
Year of experience: 18yrs experience in Public & Private Sector management
Key competencies: Negotiations; Ability to manage well; knowledgeable in human resource management

Membership / partnership and collaboration with other organization/agencies

FUN is member of the following networking forum, agencies and maintain collaboration with:

• Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• CSA Belgium
• Forest Farm Facility (FFF)
• European Union (EU)
• Welthungerhife (WHH)
• L’espoir Inc.
• AgriCord

Bank Accounts and Signatories

Name of Bank: Guaranty Trust Bank (Liberia) Limited FARMER UNION NETWORK - LIBERIA
Address: 13th Street Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia
Account number: 203303025210

VALUES FOR EXCELLENCE INCLUDE:

1. Human dignity and Gender equity

• All women and men are equal. They have equal rights in the society and participate in the development activities equally.

• FUN ensures participation of all poor people living in the working areas and provide special emphasis to the women participation as they are considerably in backward position.

• FUN staff have equal opportunities for promotion based on their experience and qualification considering gender perspective.

• FUN staff and management ensures gender equity in all aspect of the organization.

2. Honesty, Integrity, Sincerity and Transparency

• All Projects/Programs personnel of FUN promotes Honesty, Integrity, Sincerity and Transparency in all activities.

• Staff behavior and conduct must consider this value and remain honest, sincere and transparent.

• Staff and organization never hide any information to the stakeholders

3. Cost Consciousness and sound management of resources

• All Projects/Programs of FUN manage and use their resources cost effectively and in some cases cost recovery basis.

• Staff of FUN remain highly concerned on best use of resources.

4. Concern for Environment

• All Projects/Programs of FUN would be environmentally friend.

• FUN Office premises as free from dangerous cigarette smoke.

• Garbage are managed appropriately.

• Staff of FUN work in a threat free and congenial environment.

5. Quality services

• All Projects/Services of FUN are highly quality.

• Staff of FUN are responsible for maintaining the quality of the program performance

6. Capability and Accountability

• Beneficiaries of FUN possess the knowledge, understanding and capability to identify and resolve their problems. Staff of FUN shall facilitate the process.

• FUN Management and Staff remain strict to their work plan and demonstrate accountability to the organization.

7. Creativity and Innovation
 In all cases the creativity and innovation will be appreciated in the whole project or program cycle.

• Creativity and innovative would be rewarded

• Innovative and creative work would be replicated

8. Discipline

• All staff, beneficiaries and counterparts respect the organizational rules and regulation

• Staff shall remain committed to the policy, procedures and system of the organization.

• Any violation of rules and regulations would be treated seriously and disciplinary actions would be taken accordingly.

Management Structure with Leadership Pattern

The Board of Governance, headed by a Chair, is the supreme authority of the Farmer Union Network which consists of fifteen (15) members. The Board of Governance brings any amendment in the organizational structure.

The Board of Governance confirms the yearly organizational activities and accounts. The Board of Governance elects members of the Board of Governance for two years period. The Executive Committee is responsible and accountable to The Board of Governance for its work and organizational management. This is the body accountable for effective smooth functioning of the organizational activities. The Board of Governance also elects the national coordinator and he/she performs the management functions and guides the staff members as assigned by the Executive Committee.

The Chief Administrator, Chief of Operations and Head for Research and Development work under the direct supervision of the National Coordinator. The Program Officer, Project Coordinator, and Head of Federations are in charge of operations and coordinate works under the supervision of Chief of Operations. The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Public Relations (PR), and Human Resource Officers work under the supervision The Head for Research and Development. The Project Coordinators, and Head of Federations lead projects, and Federations in consultation with Program Officer and supervision of The Chief of Operations. In Coordination meeting the National Coordinator presides over the meeting and takes all the important decisions in a participatory manner. The Cashier and Treasurer work in consultation with the Accountant, and he/she reports to Administrator.

Accountability

1) The Board of Governance (BOG) is accountable to the General Assembly for its activities. As per constitution, The Secretarial is accountable to The Board of Governance for the effective management of FUN’s programs/projects as well as for the proper utilization of funds provided by the different sources.

2) The BOG always monitors the activities of the Accounts Section to ensure funds are managed properly. Before implementation of any project or plan it needs to be approved by BOG. BOG also takes decisions.

3) FUN County Federations are accountable to the Secretarial for its activities. The County Federations participate in the coordination meetings organized by the Secretarial and submit reports on a regular basis.

4) FUN is also accountable to its beneficiaries of the activities and services and the money they saved is given to the organization’s custody.

Organizational Transparency

• FUN is transparent to the donors and is provides all types of information considering the requirement.
• FUN is transparent to the participants. It is always very much open to the participants/beneficiaries.
• FUN is also transparent to the Counterpart and Partners.
• FUN never tries to hide any information from the stakeholders it is working with.
• FUN maintains close touch with Government and provides all necessary information to the authorities at the District and National level.

Written Policy, procedure and Manual

The following policy and manuals exist at FUN:

• Personnel Policy
• Financial manual,
• Strategic plan
• Communication Plan

FUN Governance

FUN Board or Committee
1. General Assembly
2. Board of Directors
3. Secretarial / Executive Committee

• Number of General Assembly Members: All registered members.
• Number of the Board Members: Eight (8)
• Number of Executive Committee / Secretarial: Five (5)

CONTACT US:

Farmers Union Network of Liberia (FUN) Wood Camp, Red-Light, Paynesville Montserrado County Republic of Liberia,
Phone: (+231) (0) 886545786 / 0888242274
Email: farmersliberia@yahoo.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmersunionnetwork
Website: www.funlib.org

CNOP Mali

CNOP, recognized since November, 26th 2004 under the receipt n° 0012 G – DB, is defined as an association of FOs/apex structures federations, apolitical and autonomous. It is a converging democratic framework of concerns, actions and strategies (FOs) in order to lead to a common space for real representativeness, formulation of common strategies in the face of the other actors, strengthening of the effects of their lobbying and advocacy actions.

CNOP has two key functions: function of political representation and this of defending farmers’ interests of Mali.
Function of political representation :

• Being the mouthpiece of the Agricultural profession in the face of State and other development actors.
  Function of defending farmers’ interests:
• Defending and promoting values of a secured Family Farming and open to progress and modernity ;
• Enabling Mali’s FOs to contribute to the definition of a vision of Malian Agriculture and Agricultural policies centered on family farms;
• Constituting a farmer pole of lobbying and advocacy in Mali and within the sub-region. CNOP federates national and/or regional FOs that cover all the sub-sectors of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry. Within CNOP, there are also the most representative two organizations of women and young people in rural area.

The ambition of CNOP is to defend and promote the values of a secured Family Farming and open to progress and modernity. Its long-term objective is to build a responsible, credible national farmer movement, bearer of the sustainable socio-economic promotion of family farms.
CNOP targets mostly :

• Poverty eradication in rural area ;
• Food sovereignty for the country ;
• Better livelihoods for all rural people ;
• A farmer agriculture recognized as a work, secured and respected ;
• Rational exploitation of natural resources for the sustainability of production systems, preservation and of the genetic patrimony.
  Through those ambitions and objectives, CNOP envisions making Malian agriculture, centered on family farm, the lever of economic, social and cultural development.
  CNOP is fighting for social equity, justice, respect, democracy and good governance, recognition of the merit.
  To attain its objectives and ambitions, CNOP works to enable FOs of Mali to contribute to the definition of a vision of the Malian Agriculture and Agricultural policies centered on family farms.

CNOP is managed by elected farmers who represent member Federations. Its bodies are the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the National Executive Bureau. Those bodies guide and control activities of CNOP

To ensure the permanent functioning of CNOP, a technical support unit is set up. This unit works on the basis of rules mentioned in the Manual of Procedures to treat files and manage technical and financial resources. To facilitate the ownership of analyses from those files and involve as much as possible, elected representatives, in the working out of positions and proposals, three working commissions are active on the following themes:

• Food sovereignty, Agricultural policies and international stakes ;
• Alliances, partnership , lobbying and advocacy ;
• Campaigns of information and media.

To date, member structures are as follows:

1. Association of Farmer Professional Organizations (AOPP) ;
2. Association of Resident Fishermen in Mali (APRAM) ;
3. Farmer Platform of Sahel;
4.Federation of Banana Farmers’ Organizations (FOPB) ;
5. National Federation of the Cattle and Meat Sector (FEBEVIM) ;
6. National Union of Growers and vegetable farmers cooperatives (UNCPM) ;
7. Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Sectors (APROFA) ;
8. College of Farmer Unions;
9. National Federation of Rural Women (FENAFER) ;
10. National Federation of Rural Young people (FENAJR) ;
11. National Federation of dairy farmers (FENALAIT)
12.National Platform of Rice Farmers (PNPR)

Founded during the constitutive forum of 27 and 28 April 1998, the Platform of Niger (PFPN) , committed with determination to defending family farming, in order to guarantee better livelihoods of rural farmers.
PFPN has as mission the defense of material and moral interests of members at the national, sub-regional and international level through actions of development, consultation, lobbying and advocacy. The global objective of PFPN is to improve livelihoods of rural farmers.

PFPN bodies are: general assembly, national coordination bureau and control committee. There is also a technical unit to support the national coordination. This device is completed by regional, departmental, local coordinations as well as spaces of dialogue and exchanges of which women and youth colleges.

PFPN is member of the Network of Farmers’ Organizations and Agricultural Producers in West Africa (ROPPA), Via Campesina. It is also member of many steering committees and topical groups at the national and international level. PFPN is accredited to UNCCD, FAO and ENDA. ..

PFPN partners are lot in view of their nature and supports that they bring. There are mostly, State (through its line ministries), CSA-Brussels, COSPE, Swiss Cooperation, VECO, European Union Delegation, CECI , Italy Cooperation, AGRHYMET (body specialized in agro-meteorology),…

Since its inception, PFPN multiplied its efforts in order to set up various strategies helping optimize effects of its actions. To date, many actions conducted by PFPN, mostly are: representing in all the regions of Niger allowing a better follow-up of grassroots FOs; relevance of its interventions and positions on problems dealing with the rural world; improvement of its capacity of accompanying member FOs: drawing up of projects, technical itineraries of production, promotion of sectors; marketing, processing and storage of crops, relations with research and institution research, etc; organization of a farmer day creating therefore a framework of dialogue between farmers and State officials , with a possibility of calling upon on major concerns and many experiences regarding advocacy and lobbying on agricultural policies in Niger, as the participation in the drawing up of Rural Development Strategies.

Those various actions conducted by PFPN have enabled the latter to establish its credibility, improve its image, and to be considered as a reference consultation framework in Niger.
Despite those various achievements, an external evaluation had been conducted in 2011 and mentioned a certain number of roles and responsibilities between the various bodies, in terms of internal and external communication, modes of execution, monitoring and evaluation of activities, etc. Even, at several times and various ways, the Farmer Platform examined its weaknesses and sought solutions.

Then, PFPN is a consultation framework capable of influencing political decisions for a netter taking into account of the farmer organization concerns, institutional and organizational reforms are necessary.
Besides, in February 2013, the Farmer Platform in Niger held its General Assembly, during which it was about, among others, restructuring the Platform. So far, it comprises members (29 in total) of various levels from grassroots small FOs (cooperatives, and groups) to large national federations covering a large number of regions. Those various types of FOs were ensuring various types of functions vis-à-vis their members, and had therefore various expectations from their national platform.
After the restructuring of the month of February 2013, the Farmer Platform accounts for eleven (11) member Farmer Organizations, that are all federations comprising many grassroots FOs, covering all, at least 3 of the 8 regions across the country and that are update in terms of payment of contributions that amount to 200,000 CFA francs annually. Those 11 member FOs intervene in all the areas of the rural sector and represent about 500,000 heads of family farmers.
It was also agreed that the functions of the Platform should be complementary to those of member organizations, and mostly focus on: advocacy and lobbying on issues that member organizations identified as priority, on the strengthening of member organizations on cross-cutting aspects, through workshops of training and reflection, exchange visits, through the dissemination of information. In the same way, the Farmer Platform is animating two specialized Colleges within it. It is about this of farmer women and, this of young farmers.

Following this re-organization, the strategic plan (2013-2017) of which the Platform was equipped in 2012, is to specify for it was partly based on small-scale organizations’ needs that are no longer members today. Besides, the Strategic Plan was not sufficiently deepened so that all the parties concerned: member organizations, partners, executive team, and managers are able to well understand the impact, priorities and modes of actions to conduct, in order to monitor.
Therefore, it is proved to be necessary to reformulate the Strategic Plan depending on new functions of the Farmer Platform and priority expectations from member FOs. It is the same for the annual plan 2013, and for the two colleges’ plans.
That’s why, PFPN, with the support of CSA and Bureau of Swiss cooperation in Niger, has been inscribed in a process aiming at finalizing its strategic plan 2014-2017. A consultant is assisting the executive team of the Platform and delegates of the 11 member FOs to reformulate the strategic plan 2014-2017.

Contacts of the Farmer Platform managers

Mr BAGNA Djibo
President of the Farmer Platform
Phone: +227 96 01 95 49 / +227 90 05 00 42
Email : bagna_djibo@yahoo.fr

Mister Issaka Abdoulaye
Coordinator of the Technical Unit
+227 96 49 43 09
+227 90 45 37 70

List of member farmer organizations

1. Association for the Revitalization of Livestock in Niger (AREN) :Livestock
2. Federation of Niger Vegetable Cooperatives (FCMN Niya): Vegetable farming
3. Federation of Farmer Groups’ Unions (FUGPN – MOORIBEN): Agriculture
4. Federation of rice farmers Cooperative Unions (FUCOPRI) : Rice Farmers
5. National Federation of Niger Fishermen groups (FNGPN) :Fisheries
6. Democratic Association of Niger Women (RDFN) :Women promotion
7. National Federation of Agro-pastors (FENAP) Agro-pastoral system
8. FNEN-DADDO : Livestock
9. Association for the preservation and Promotion of Livestock in Niger (ASPEN) :Livestock
10. DAOUD Association: Agro-pastor
11. Group for Cultural Association and Development of Young breeders: Livestock

The purpose of the Conseil National de Concertation et de Coopération des Ruraux (CNCR) of Senegal is to contribute to the development of a farmer farming that ensures a sustainable socio-economic promotion of family farms.

Objectives:

1. Promoting consultation, cooperation and sharing of experiences between its members;
2. Strengthening within movements and federations of farmer associations, the key togetherness to the development of rural area;
3. Ensuring a good representation of the farmer identity and in terms of producers to the State and public and private partners, within the country and outside;
4. 
Strengthening the development of a platform of consultation between African farmer organizations.

Guidelines:

Those principles have enabled CNCR to define its area of intervention;
1.recognition and respect of State authority for the definition of farming policies;
2. Taking into account integrity and autonomy, in solidarity, member federations;
3. Recognizing the existence of other actors intervening in rural development;
4. Rural people should take seriously their destiny.

Governing bodies:

Governing bodies are Congress, Board of Directors and Executive Bureau. They are made-up of member farmer organizations (FOs) managers and have prerogatives to take decisions about activities to implement in compliance with orientations defined by the congress;

The congress is made-up of all the members; it is the sovereign body of orientation and decision of CNCR;
Members of the Board are: it comprises 60 members (four representatives per founding member and two per each new member). It is entitled to plan, implement and monitor all the activities of CCNR in compliance with orientations and programmes defined by the General Assembly.

Executive Bureau: it comprises 18 members, executes Board decisions. The Board and executive bureau are made-up by member Farmer Organizations (FOs) managers and have prerogatives to decide about activities to implement in compliance with orientations defined by the congress.

The General Secretariat of CNCR is the execution body. It has a technical unit to conduct its activities. Then, it ensures , in collaboration with managers of CNCR and independent service providers, the preparations of files, negotiation of programmes, training of FOs’ managers as well as the coordination and monitoring of the activities of CNCR.

The National Association of Farmers of Sierra Leone (NAFSL) is an umbrella organization for farmer’s organizations (FO’s) and agricultural producers at village level. The small-holder farmer and their organizations play a decisive role in ensuring sustainable rural development and food security. Most of them are poor and not fully integrated into the national economy as agricultural policies and related investment programs have not been favourable to small farming.

NAFSL was founded in 1976 as an independent non-political network to harness the initiatives of small farmers and organize them into Farmer Organizations (FO’s) at village level to undertake the task of lobbying and advocacy with decision makers at national, regional and international levels. The association seeks to reinforce the network of FO’s not only between themselves but with other national and international actors for the purpose of involving them in the definition and elaboration of rural development, food security and agricultural policy.

NAFSL is a well structures organization hierarchal in nature comprising farmer organizations in the 149 chiefdoms, 37 village areas in the western region and 14 administrative districts of the country. At the apex of the organization is the National Executive Council headed by a PRESIDENT. The members of the executives are elected by the National Delegate Conference (AGM) for a period of five (5) years.
The association id governed by a constitution founded on the tenets of democracy and food governance – the elected representatives and the technical and support staffs at the secretariat are responsible and accountable to the members.

NAFSL as a civil society network is registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the government line Ministry of Finance, Development and Economic planning and also the Sierra Leone Non-Governmental Organization (SLANGO). NAFSL became the National Platform of the Network of Peasant workers and Agricultural producers organization od West Africa (ROPPA) on its admission as member in March 2007.

The total membership of NAFSL as at now stood at 580 farmers groups/producers organizations. Capacity building including meetings and policy consultations among FO’s, training and technical backstopping and implementation of gender strategies are coordinated with the network.

Historical background of the establishment

Date of establishment: July, 10th 2001
The creation of CTOP is the completion of a process aiming at regaining control of the Togolese farmer movement by farmers following the disengagement of State driven by Structural Adjustment Plans (SAPs). The birth of the organization is after one year of this of ROPPA in Benin that fortified the willingness to get equipped with a consultation framework having as mandate to represent and defend farmers’ interests in Togo.

Status

It is considered as a professional association. It is officially recognized as association to the law 1901 under the number 1472/MATD-SG-DAPOC-DOCA of December, 19th 2005.

Membership

CTOP represents all the umbrella organizations across the country, such as 500,000 members, such as 30% of women, distributed in 17 associative or unions farmers’ organizations covering a sector or territory :

• *Amélioration et Développement des exploitations Agropastorales (ADEPAP) ;

• Association Nationale des Professions Avicoles du Togo (ANPAT) ;
• Association Paysanne pour la Communication des Ruraux (APCR) ;
• Centrale des Producteurs de Céréales du Togo (CPC Togo) ;
• Fédération Nationale des Organisations Maraichères du Togo (FENOMAT) ;
• Fédération Nationale de Groupements de Producteurs de Coton (FNGPC) ;
• Fédération des Organisations Paysannes des Savanes (FOPAS) ;
• Fédération des Unions de Producteurs de Café-Cacao du Togo (FUPROCAT) ;
• Mouvement Alliance Paysanne du Togo (MAPTO) ;
• Réseau des centrales d’Autopromotion Paysanne (RECAP) ;
• Réseau National des Organisations Paysannes (RENOP) ;
• Union des Coopératives de Pêche Maritime (UNICOOPEMA) ;
• Réseau des Jeunes Producteurs et Professionnels Agricoles du Togo (REJEPPAT) ;
  -* Fédération Nationale des Professionnels de la Filière Bétail et Viande du Togo (FENAPFIBVTO) ;
• Réseau des Promotrices Agro-alimentaires du Togo (REPROMAT) ; (xvi) Réseau National des Femmes Agricultrices du Togo (RENAFAT) ;
• Réseau National des Producteurs de Semences Certifiées du Togo (RNPSCT). In the service of this network, we have around one hundred of active technicians and advisers within umbrella organizations.

Governing bodies

CTOP has three major governing bodies:

• General Assembly : it meets once per annum and is made-up of the 05 delegates per member umbrella organization ;
• A Board of directors : made-up of 13 farmer leaders elected for one mandate of 3 years renewable once ;
• A control and supervisory committee: made-up of 3 members elected for a three-year mandate not renewable. Then, it has two consultation spaces: youth and women colleges.

Operational arrangement

At the central level, there is the Executive Secretariat. The ES is tasked with conducting all the technical activities of CTOP pursuant to the Board decisions.
At the regional level, CTOP set up in 2013 its regional offices within the 5 regions of Togo : Regional Coordinations of Farmers’ Organizations and Agricultural Producers (CROPPA) that are units from CTOP at the regional level (extended to the unions of regional FOs not members of umbrella structures/CTOP and has its legal personality. They are governed by the statutes of CTOP and have each their own by-laws taking into account regional specificities.

Objective / mission of CTOP

Objective: CTOP has as objective promoting and defending every time the value of a professional, competitive and sustainable agriculture in the service of family farms.
Vision: CTOP has as ambition « to be BY 2020 a dynamic, credible network strongly anchored at the grassroots level and participating in an effective way to the working out, implementation and monitoring-evaluation of policies at all levels and providing appropriate services to its members ».
Strategic plan: CTOP worked out in 2011 a five-year strategic plan 2012-2016 of which the following key objectives are :

• Strengthening the representativeness and governance of CTOP and its member umbrella organizations ;

• Strengthening the capacities of participation of FOs in local, national and regional processes aiming the working out, implementation and monitoring-evaluation of policies and programmes dealing with agricultural development ;
• Supporting the promotion of FOs’ economic initiatives through a better valorization of agricultural, forestry, pastoral and fisheries products ;
• Protecting natural resources, adapting to climate changes and fighting against HIV/AIDS.

Areas of intervention, activities and services to members

Main activities of CTOP: advocacy/studies, capacity-building and facilitation of the members’ access to economic services.

a) Advocacy/studies

CTOP plays a role of spokesperson of the farmer movement and interlocutor of public powers, ensuring advocacies on the following themes : setting up of the conventional measurement units in the selling of crops, funding of agriculture, involvement of farmers’ organizations in the drawing up and implementation of programmes in line with agricultural development, export of cereals, etc ;

b) Capacity-building of members

Through its decentralized institutional device (CROPPAs) and its network of technicians coming mostly from member FOs, CTOP brings a consultancy/training to its members on various themes: governance, leadership, financial management of FOs, drawing up of the work plan, etc.
It accompanies FOs in their process of transformation into cooperative pursuant to OHADA, working out and implementation of their work plan (146 unions of farmer organizations in 2013 and 2014 within the framework of PADAT).

c) Facilitation of the members’ access to the economic services

CTOP plays a role of facilitator in the access of its members to the economic services through the capitalization, dissemination of experiences, participation in agricultural fairs, setting up of the sectors’ consultation frameworks and facilitation of the members’ access to the funding.
Then, it conducts pilot activities to support the agro-food processing of its members.

Networking

CTOP is member of :

• ROPPA
• Via Campesina
• Framework of consultation and dialogue of FOs and CSOs on agricultural sector in Togo ;
• Many ad’hoc committees : Committee to draw up the harmonized framework of CILSS ; REDD+ steering Committee; Steering Committee of the PASA/PPAAO financial instruments; Steering Committee of the Coopermondo/Italy Funds; etc.

Partnerships

• Key partners of CTOP are MAEP Togo, ROPPA, AFDI, AgriCord, FIDA, FAO, Coopermondo, AFD, AVSF, CPCAT, European Union, OSCAF, AVSF, ETD, FONGTO, UONGTO, etc.
  Current projects
• SFOAP main phase (IFAD, EU, DDC, AFD) : 2013–2017
• Support Project to Agricultural Development in Togo (PADAT) , funded by MAEP, GAFSP, BOAD and BIDC 2011 – 2016
• Project for the identification of political and strategic options for a better adoption of research findings by family farms (AGRIFAM Togo), funded by CORAF/WECARD, 2013 - 2016
• Partnership Project between Research and Farmers’ Organizations for the improvement of Quality and a better marketing of products (PROPAQ) , funded by CORAF/WECARD : 2013 - 2015
• Support project to Civil Society and National Reconciliation (PASCRENA), funded by EU, 2013 - 2015.