*ACCRA, Ghana. *The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and
the African Investment Climate Research (AFRICRES) recognized outstanding
efforts by Farmer Organizations (FOs) across Africa in promoting food
security on November 28, 2013 at a gala event in Accra, Ghana. The 2013
African Farmer of the Year Awards (AFOYA) event was organized to recognize
and reward smallholder farmers throughout Africa for their vital role in
promoting food security. In all, 15 FOs from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya,
Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda received awards in
five different categories including: Income Diversity, Youth and Female
Participation, Advocacy, Governance, and Market Access. Impabaruta, a
Rwandan Farmer Organization, emerged as the overall winner.
It is expected that these awards will motivate FOs to improve their
performance by strengthening their capacities to ensure efficiency. Through
this, FOs will be better placed to provide efficient services for their
members to promote their work.
In his congratulatory message, the Lead Coordinator of AGRA’s Farmer
Organization Support Centre in Africa (FOSCA), Mr. Fadel Ndiame, thanked
the farmers for their contribution to Africa’s agriculture and economy. He
urged them to do more, and not to rest on their laurels.
“African Farmer Organizations are playing a central role in promoting and
driving agricultural transformation processes in Africa and that is why
AGRA and AFRICRES deemed it necessary to recognize your efforts. It is our
hope that these awards will motivate you to continue to put food on our
tables and generate even greater revenue for Africa through agriculture,”
Mr. Ndiame stated.
Below are the winners in each category:
*1. **Income* *Diversity* *Award*
– National Union of Coffee Agribusiness and Farm Enterprises
(NUCAFE), Uganda – *Winner*
– Kenya National Federation of Agri Producers (KENFAP) , Kenya – *1st
Runners Up*
– FASO JIGI/ PACCEM from Mali – *2nd Runners Up*
*2. **Youth and Female Participation Award*
– NAIMA Development CBO, Kenya – *Winner*
– Impabaruta, Rwanda – *1st Runners Up*
– New Generation Commercial Farmers, Nigeria – *2nd Runners Up*
*3. **Advocacy Award*
– Schemers Community Based Organization, Kenya – *Winner *
– National Small Holder Farmer Association of Malawi (NASFAM),
Malawi – *1st Runners Up*
– L’Union Des Sociétés Coopératives Des Producteurs De Mais, Mali
– *2nd Runners Up*
*4. **Governance Award*
– Hekima Horticulture Self-Help Group, Kenya – *Winner*
– IABM, Rwanda – *1st Runner Up*
– Konapindibu Financial and Agricultural Farmers, Sierra Leone – *2nd
Runner Up*
*5. **Market Access Award*
– Union of Groups for Marketing of Agriculture products Mouhoun
(UGCPA/BM), Burkina Faso – *Winner*
– The Lord Is My Shepherd, Ghana, – *1st Runner Up*
– Owefwe Obwambami Self-Help Group, Kenya – *2nd Runner Up*
Professor Nicholas Biekpe, Managing Director of AFRICRES, says: “Through
this awards program, we expect that FOs will work progressively towards
meeting the set quality standards necessary to enhance their sustainability
and, ultimately, benefit smallholder farmers across Africa.”