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Opinion: A stock of social capital
September 23rd, 2012

(september 2012) Farmer organisations represent the social capital needed in the rural areas, says Thomas Mupetesi. National policy makers should pay attention to the role that farmers’ organisations can play in tackling environmental issues, building on what organisations like ours are doing. What we need to do is to share the lessons learnt and show … Read more

Co-operatives in Sri Lanka: Improving a successful model
September 23rd, 2012

The Livestock Breeders Co-operative Societies (LIBCOs) are playing an important element in reconstructing the livestock industry in northern Sri Lanka – and their role is likely to increase. Small-scale farmers in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, like elsewhere, collaborate with each other in many different ways, forming groups and working to improve their livelihoods an d sustainably … Read more

Opinion: What we need is to end hunger
September 23rd, 2012

There is a difference between producing more food and ending hunger, says Eric Holt-Giménez. To end hunger we must end poverty and inequality. Conventional agriculture’s record on these issues is abysmal. To end hunger we need agro-ecological approaches and structural reforms that ensure that resource-poor farmers have the land and resources they need for sustainable … Read more

FARMERS ORGANISATIONS UP TO THE JOB
September 23rd, 2012

Farming Mattters | 28.3 | September 2012 This issue of Farming Matters pays special attention to farmers’ organisations. In what different ways do farmers organise? What problems exist in farmers’ organisations and how are these dealt with? Farmers’ organisations can play important roles in developing supply management schemes and various income insurance programmes. Farmers can … Read more

A powerful learning opportunity: Gaza’s PM&E
September 23rd, 2012

In 2009, Mabomo and Mungaze, two communities in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, welcomed the idea of a small project – and were surprised when asked to participate in the design and implementation of a Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) system around it. This system has promoted learning and empowerment among the members of these two … Read more

Globally connected: Rio+20 – what now?
September 23rd, 2012

Many people were disappointed with the outcome of the Rio+20 conference in June. Nonetheless, it was a very good opportunity for many representatives of the civil society, from practically all countries, to gather and discuss the challenges that still exist for transforming the global agricultural system into one that respects and supports family farming and … Read more

A pyramid of farmers’ organisations
September 23rd, 2012

Elisabeth Atangana – As a farmer, the newly appointed FAO Special Ambassador for Co-operatives, Elisabeth Atangana, is familiar with farmer organisations at many different levels. She is president of the National Dialogue of Peasant Organisations (CNOP-CAM), in her native country, Cameroon, of the Subregional Platform of Peasant Organisations of Central Africa (PROPAC) and of the … Read more

Farmer groups and the biodiversity dividend
September 23rd, 2012

Many different agricultural practices contribute positively in terms of biodiversity. Joining hands and working together is clearly one of them. This was shown by Green Net, the co-op that recently hosted the participants of the Agrobiodiversity@knowledged programme in Thailand. There they also saw the benefits that biodiversity can bring to both producers and their organisations. … Read more

Theme overview – We are up to the job
September 23rd, 2012

Farmer organisations are not a new idea, and their advantages are widely recognised. Yet most are facing new challenges. There is growing competition for land, while international trade agreements are having a very negative effect on rural communities. Food prices are rising and climate change puts additional pressure on farming, but only a few national … Read more

Farmers in focus: “It’s our land!”
September 23rd, 2012

Julio, Ednea and their children from the Padre Jesus community, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Near the town of Espera Feliz, in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a group of farmer families has jointly bought land to grow their own crops and established the Padre Jesus community. By organising themselves as a co-operative, they were able to access the … Read more