How a producers’ organization helped farmers successfully export avocado to Europe “Before the Forest and Farm Facility Programme (FFF) reached out to us, I faced many challenges in marketing the avocado produce from my farm,” says Paul Mitei, a farmer from Kiptoben Village, Nakuru County, Kenya. Paul says he wanted to know more about how the avocado and tomato value chains worked, and the proper inputs that are critical to
Farmers organizations have improved entrepreneurial skills and financial management skills for farmers Farmers in Adansi South, a forested district of Ghana, known for their production of rice, cassava, plantain, maize and vegetables, used to make little profit from their farms, due to little or no access to market opportunities. To improve the farmers’ livelihoods, the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) programme through the Kokoo Pa Farmers Association has given the
We live in a historical age in which capitalism has exhausted all its possibilities. From now on, more than ever, capitalism will only offer us more crises of conflict, war, migration, global warming, hunger, pandemics and death. In this context, formation in the La Via Campesina with a perspective of human emancipation is strategic. It has the historical task of contributing to forging collective political subjects, capable of mobilising consciences,
Cereals are an important crop, and pests, moulds, and disease can affect farmers’ harvests and the quantity and quality of food available. Agricultural losses from plant pests can be more than 37%. Aflatoxin can reduce the quality of harvested cereals. Pests like fall armyworm can damage crops. ECOWAS is working on a strategy to address food security storage, and as part of this effort, the Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et
Rita Adibamoli is a 24-year-old Ghanaian woman from Kasena Nankana Abarjawe district of Ghana who has made a good livelihood from soap-making with shea product. In Kasena Nankana Baobab Cooperative Union (KANBAOCU), FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) initiative funded a training for young people to develop skills in making soap from shea and to encourage entrepreneurship. This is how Rita gained the knowledge and interest to use soap making
As 2020 draws to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on what seems like a pivotal year. It’s a new decade, and we are facing challenges new and old. The COVID-19 crisis took over the agenda this year, changing how we work, live, and interact with each other. However, old challenges did not take a backseat during this crisis. Food security, nutrition, gender-based violence, early marriage, education, and
On Dec. 2, women in West Africa gathered online to save the local milk market in West Africa which is overrun with palm oil-fattened milk powder from Europe. They say this powdered milk, sold up to 50% cheaper than local milk, weakens our milk producers. Badly labeled, this milk can be confused with real milk without having the nutritional qualities. This can harm your health and that of your children.
La Via Campesina (LVC) is a champion for the rights of small-scale food producers, working for food sovereignty and social justice, and struggling in solidarity with peasant farmers, small- and medium-sized producers, rural women, indigenous people, rural youth and agricultural workers to improve their rights. And they have had success. With the adoption of the UN Declarations of the Rights of Peasants in 2018, La Via Campesina found success. But
CSO STATEMENT TO THE 31th FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR AFRICA Honourable Chairperson, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen, We, the 53 representatives of small and medium-scale farmers, rural women and youth, fisherfolk, agricultural workers, livestock keepers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples, cooperatives, consumers, and NGOs, representing national, regional and international CSOs coming from 22 countries met in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 25th to 27th of February 2020 for the Civil Society
By 2050, the global population of youth (ages 15-24 as defined by the UN) is projected to rise to 1.8 billion, with 35 percent estimated to live in Africa. This presents a challenge of creating economic opportunities for this growing segment of the population. Furthermore, the growing global demand for food and nutrition also presents a challenge, with some estimates citing a need to increase food availability by 70-100 percent.
