Forum Helps Farmer Organisations Scale-up Food Production
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, November 26, 2012/ — The Alliance for a
Green Revolution in Africa’s (AGRA)
(http://www.agra-alliance.org/who-we-are) Farmer Organisation Support
Centre in Africa (FOSCA) programme in collaboration with the Southern
African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU)
(http://www.sacau.org) is hosting a forum from 26 to 28 November,
2012 at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Johannesburg to
exchange solutions that will provide farmers better access to markets
and financial services, improve food production and increase incomes.
“Smallholder farmers are critical to meeting the food security demands
of the future,” said FOSCA Lead Coordinator Fadel Ndiame. “Farmer
organizations empower and connect hardworking men and women across
Africa who deserve the opportunity to engage in the broader
agricultural economy.”
The forum will bring together farmer organisations from more than 12
sub-Saharan Africa nations to learn from shared successes and
challenges. The meeting will be attended by farmers, farmer
organization representatives, agricultural service providers,
scientists, development agencies and private-sector leaders. Experts
will share best practices and participate in a field visit to the
Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market and AGRISA, a commercial farm that
helps smallholder farmers access markets large bulk buyers like
supermarkets.
“Farmers are the key link between policymakers and the reality on the
ground,” said CEO and Board Secretary of the SACAU Ishmael Sunga.
“This forum will strengthen the managerial, organisational and
technical capacity of farmer’s organisations with an aim of helping
them provide demand-driven and income enhancing services to
smallholder farmers.”
The meeting takes place against a backdrop of continued concerns about
global food security. With the population of Southern Africa expected
to grow to more than 67 million people in 2050, farmer organisations
play a pivotal role in linking smallholder farmers to financial
resources and the markets they need to feed the future.