Fighting Hunger Worldwide. Purchase for Progress (P4P)

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1 Fighting Hunger Worldwide Purchase for Progress (P4P) Snapshot: Farmers Organizations, Capacity Development and Partnerships September 2008 December 2014

2 Summary This report provides a snapshot of farmers organizations (FOs), training activities and partnerships supported under the World Food Programme s (WFP) Purchase for Progress (P4P) programme from September 2008 to December The information presented here is extracted from country quarterly reports submitted by 20 WFP country offices, input from the P4P coordination unit and other P4P publications. This report reflects the combined efforts of a wide variety of partners who contributed to the strengthening of the capacities of smallholder farmers organizations and their progressive inclusion into markets. P4P links WFP s demand for staple food commodities, such as cereals and pulses, with the technical expertise of a wide range of partners. Since the launch of the programme, P4P formed 505 partnerships, 221 of which were either on-going or under negotiation in December These partners represent the private sector, international and local nongovernment organizations and national and local governments, all of which have been fundamental in providing the appropriate institutional and technical support to smallholders, FOs, small and medium traders and processors. P4P s main entry point to reach smallholder farmers with capacity development has been through FOs. P4P engaged with over 1,000 FOs and was targeting 898 of them as of December Through these FOs, P4P reached about 1.7 million farmers, 25% of whom were women. Women actively engaged in FOs and held 47% of leadership positions. The programme has also boosted women s participation on household and community levels, and actively linked smallholder farmers to other actors such as processors, local and regional banks, as well as institutional buyers. P4P supported farmers also benefitted from diverse training sessions, including those on production and productivity, post-harvest handling, agribusiness management, gender and literacy, all of which have bolstered their ability to sell to WFP and other institutional and private sector buyers. Farmers organizations participating in P4P As of December 2014, 1,149 farmers organizations (FOs) had engaged with P4P since the initiative s inception in late Of these, 898 were still collaborating with P4P, with more FOs under discussion for future partnership. The size and capacity of P4P-targeted FOs varied widely from country to country, and included a range of structures, from small grassroots organizations to large-scale farmers federations. The number of FOs supported throughout the pilot varied for a number of reasons. As the initiative progressed, P4P was able to extend its technical assistance to additional regions by expanding its partnerships. Despite the increase in the scale of the programme, the number of FOs decreased in some countries as smaller FOs merged into larger umbrella organizations. In other cases, FOs were dropped when it became evident that they could not be effectively supported through P4P. 1

3 Countries P4P targeted Women Total Men Members FOs Members members Afghanistan ,305 16,305 Burkina Faso 7 138, , ,091 DRC 14 3,850 6,500 10,350 El Salvador 20 3,121 5,925 9,046 Ethiopia , ,173 1,038,833 Ghana ,524 Guatemala ,904 2,821 Honduras 28 2,832 7,803 10,635 Kenya ,436 8,166 23,602 Liberia 26 1, ,744 Malawi 46 17,465 24,111 41,576 Mali 47 32,336 37,091 69,427 Mozambique 40 15,447 23,993 39,440 Nicaragua 15 2,815 5,503 8,318 Rwanda 61 17,048 18,717 35,765 Sierra Leone 24 3,938 3,396 7,334 South Sudan 11 1,176 2,485 3,661 Tanzania 28 8,931 11,771 20,702 Uganda 66 32,788 31,500 64,288 Zambia 88 4,157 4,642 8,799 Total ,190 1,265,071 1,691,261 Figure 1. As shown in figure 1, total membership refers to the number of members as reported by FOs. Because of this, total membership figures may include both smallholder and nonsmallholder farmers, although FO records in December 2014 showed that the vast majority were indeed smallholder farmers. Hence, the total membership may not automatically correspond to the total direct P4P participants, though all may have indirectly benefited from improved services resulting from strengthening the FO through capacity development and other activities. In El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, clearer distinctions have been made between smallholder farmers considered to be P4P participants who can benefit from training and WFP procurement contracts and those who cannot. This distinction may not have been so clear in other pilot countries, which have less detailed data on FO membership. Types of farmers organizations: capacity and level The number, size and typology of P4P-supported FOs varied greatly across countries. Different levels of FOs were targeted, including primary farmers organizations (first tier), forums and unions (second tier, consisting of 5-10 or more primary farmers organizations) and regional and national federations (third tier). As of December 2014, the vast majority of FOs participating in P4P were first tier groups grass roots and community-based farmers organizations or rural producer organizations. These groups are generally classified as low capacity, with limited experience in collective marketing, infrastructure and links to formal sources to credit. Although these groups made up the majority of P4P-supported FOs, in December 2014, they represented only 9% of members supported by this project. 2

4 Seventy-three percent of farmers targeted by P4P in December 2014 belonged to the second tier organizations, such as forums and unions. These second tier groups are usually of higher capacity than the first tier and have access to better infrastructure and financial services. Third tier farmers organizations constituted only 1% of P4P-supported FOs, but 17% of P4P participants. In Tanzania, savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs), which encompassed the remaining P4P-supported organizations (26 organizations), provide credit and savings accounts to registered smallholders and in some cases are transitioning to agricultural marketing cooperatives (AMCOs). Types of FOs targeted by P4P in 20 pilot countries, by number of FOs January 2009 December % 1% 3% 78% 1st level - Association/ CBO/Grassroot group/self-help group/ Club 2nd level - 2nd tier/cooperative Union 3rd level - 3rd tier/cooperative Federation SACCOs Figure 2. P4P gender awareness P4P has been especially mindful of ways in which its efforts boost the overall engagement of women in all elements of the programme. In order to maximize the benefits of the initiative, P4P s work with women farmers was guided by a global gender strategy and country-specific gender assessments, which recommended activities to promote gender equity and the economic empowerment of women in agriculture. Most commonly, women participating in P4P were supported through gender sensitization and capacity development entailing literacy training, provision of time and labour saving equipment, as well as procurement from women-only FOs and of women-friendly crops. 1 As of December 2014, women s participation in targeted FOs reached 25%; however, this figure varies greatly across countries. It is also biased by the relative weight of Ethiopia (reporting 12% of women members) since its targeted cooperative unions boast a membership base surpassing one million members. With Ethiopia excluded, women s overall membership in P4P-supported FOs corresponds to 47%. Women also occupied leadership positions within their FOs; in fact, 48% of women farmers were also FO leaders (see figure 3). 1 Women-friendly crops are those generally cultivated by women, such as pulses. 3

5 Gender breakdown of FO membership 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Afghanistan Burkina Faso DRC El Salvador Ethiopia Ghana Guatemala Honduras Kenya Liberia Malawi Mali Mozambique Nicaragua Rwanda Sierra Leone South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia % women members % men members Figure 3. Capacity development P4P aimed to assist its targeted farmers to become more effective producers but also wellorganized members of FOs, rational sellers of crops capable of benefitting from post-harvest handling methods and cognisant of basic financial and marketing notions. The programme also aimed at increasing the inclusiveness of the entire value chain, ensuring a greater link between smallholder farmers and market. To this end, P4P has used the expertise of WFP and that of its numerous partners to train P4P targeted FOs, their members and leaders, and other relevant actors in the value chain including government and partner staff. From the beginning of training activities in January 2009 until December 2014, total number of attendees reached 820,166. Over 99% of these attendees were smallholder farmers, agricultural technicians, small and medium traders and warehouse operators, with the remaining 1% being WFP and partner staff. Some individuals were trained several times through progressive training sessions within the same area or on different topics, leading them to be double-counted in the data. However, it is important to note that total training figures are likely to be higher than those shown by the available data. This is due to the fact that in many countries, partners delivered trainings but not always reported on the number of participants, which resulted in their absence from our records. Another reason is that many countries applied the approach of training of trainers, which entailed training of FO leaders and/or other prominent figures who would then pass this newly-acquired knowledge on to farmers in their FOs and communities. Therefore, records on this expected trickledown effect are often not available. 4

6 As of December 2014, the most frequent training provider were government agencies, organizing 37% of all training sessions and NGOs that provided 28%. Attendance by training provider in 20 P4P Countries 13% 0.2% 6% 8% 1% 7% 11% 17% 37% Academics/University Farmers' Organization Government Agency International NGO Local NGO Private sector Regional Entity UN Agency WFP Figure 4. Training topics As of December 2014, the most common topics addressed by training courses related to agricultural production and productivity and post-harvest handling (68%). Further training topics included agribusiness management, FO institutional capacity development, gender, WFP procurement and logistics processes, credit and finance, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and other (see figure 5). Training attendance by topic in 20 P4P Countries 48% 0.4% 15% 3% 6% 6% Agribusiness Management Credit & Finance FOs Institutional Capacity Building Gender 1% 1% M & E Other 20% Postharvest handling Production and Productivity WFP/P4P Procurement and Logistics Figure 5. 5

7 Training topics are characterised as follows: Agribusiness management: this training was implemented in all pilot countries and encompassed basic accounting, production and business planning, negotiation skills, fund management, group marketing training and market research. WFP and partner NGOs most commonly provided these sessions. Credit and finance: credit access and financial management were usually taught by NGO partners, particularly in Central America. FOs institutional capacity development: group formation, administration, management, fiscal responsibility and accountability, transparency of leadership and good governance. Training on literacy and numeracy, and record keeping and analysis were also included. Gender: awareness raising on gender issues, promotion of gender equality and gender issues in rural agricultural activities. Topics included domestic violence, women s economic empowerment, literacy, women s leadership, crib construction and conservation of cowpeas a crop often produced by women. Both women and men farmers were targeted, along with the community, administrative and religious leaders. In fact, as of December 2014, 40% of attendees trained on gender were men. M&E: information on data collection for surveys, maintenance of FO records and case studies and were provided by WFP, NGO partners, universities and government agencies. Post-harvest handling: given the importance of this training, it was one out of two topics implemented in all P4P pilot countries, with WFP taking the lead for storage management and quality control. Ministries of agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and NGOs generally carried out training on other aspects. Production and productivity: specific agricultural techniques for staple crops and rice parboiling and milling techniques. These training sessions were generally organized by specialized agencies of ministries of agriculture, FAO, and NGOs. WFP procurement and logistics: WFP staff led these training sessions on tender processes and procurement procedures in order to aid FOs who sell to WFP but also other large suppliers. Other: training sessions on climate change and road maintenance. Moreover, in order to increase the engagement of women farmers, literacy-training and numeracy sessions were organized. Gender and training Consistent with its gender strategy, P4P has created trainings to meet the needs of women farmers. As of December 2014, on average, 31% of all trainees were women, amounting to 250,670 attendees at P4P trainings, compared to 562,896 men. Nonetheless, this percentage varies across countries depending on female participation prior to the P4P pilot and on the presence of women-only FOs. In Burkina Faso, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, South Sudan and Uganda, over 50% of the trainees were women, while in Ethiopia and Afghanistan women comprised only 21% and 7% trainees respectively, due to alreadymentioned cultural aspects. 6

8 Gender breakdown of trainees in 20 P4P Countries 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Afghanistan Burkina Faso DRC El Salvador Ethiopia Ghana Guatemala Honduras Kenya Liberia Malawi Mali Mozambique Nicaragua Rwanda Sierra Leone South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia % women trained % men trained Figure 6. P4P partners also organized training sessions on gender issues targeting both women and men, including those in influential positions. This provided a space to emphasize the economic gains gender equality can provide for households and communities. A total of 20,536 men underwent training on gender, compared to 30,640 women who attended training sessions on the same topic. Moreover, overall capacity development often incorporated a gender component, taking into account types of foods locally produced by women, as well as household and community dimensions of gender. Partnerships In order to maximize benefits for smallholder farmers, improve the cost-efficiency of the programme, and promote sustainable development of P4P pilot countries, WFP has worked with a wide range of partners, including government ministries, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, the private sector, financial service providers, research institutions, bilateral development partners, regional entities and in a small number umbrella FOs. 7

9 Partners in 20 P4P Countries by category 3% 5% 5% 4% 8% 5% 1% 2% 24% Donor Farmer Organization Financial Institution/Bank Government Agency International Ngo Local Ngo 22% 21% Other Private Sector Regional Entity Research Institution/Academics UN Agency Figure 7. Technical partnership agreements, therefore those delving into applied aspects of crops production and storage (denoted as production and productivity, and post-harvest handling) made up 43% of partnerships as of December Other areas of cooperation include FO institutional capacity development, agribusiness management and financial services. As farmers boosted their organization and knowledge of farming methods, P4P focused at forming additional partnerships in areas of credit and financial literacy. Partners in 20 P4P Countries by the area of collaboration 31% 14% 3% 9% Agribusiness Management Agro-processing Credit & Finance FOs Institutional Capacity Building 12% 18% Gender M & E 6% 4% 3% Other Post-harvest handling Production & Productivity Figure 8. In the post-pilot period, P4P staff is continuing to liaise with new and already existing partners including governments, international and local non-institutional buyers, the private sector, research institutions and other donors in order to expand the range of its actions and expertise and therefore provide better support to a growing number of smallholder farmers, their households and communities. 8

10 Printed: July 2015 Photo credits: Front Cover: WFP/Thomas Jeboah; Back Cover: WFP/Waswa Moses For more information contact: World Food Programme Purchase for Progress (P4P)