MTCP2 launched in Pakistan

Around 50 participants coming from various farmers association, fisherfolks organization, indigenous women and representatives from government agencies gathered in Hotel Pak Heritage, 28 Davis Road Lahore to share initiatives and challenges confronting smallholder farmers and fishers.

The National Farmers’ Forum in Pakistan is organized by AFA-LVC consortium in cooperation with Pakistan Kisan Rabita Committee (PKRC) and Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF).

The forum hopes to:

1. Provide opportunity among key national FOs to share existing activities/initiatives on sustainable and resilient farming practices including collective marketing strategies geared towards identifying common areas for cooperation which can be partly supported by MTCP2.
2. Gain deeper understanding and appreciation on the programs and project of government agencies and development partners related to agricultural development particularly those that relates to developing capacities of small-scale farmers organization.
3. Generate interest and commitment of key national FOs to work together within a national FO platform that will promote the institutional and operational capacity of FO as well as to engage in effective policy processes and improve economic services to members.
4. Identify potential national implementing agency (NIA) among FOs within the national FO platform, and
5. Identify action points towards continuing cooperation within and beyond the MTCP2 program.

National Synergy Forum for Farmers Organization and Sustainable Agricultural Development

Rationale

The consortium Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La  Via Campesina (LVC) acts as the regional implementing agency (RIA) of a Medium Term Cooperation Program Phase 2 (MTCP2), a five year program which started in 2014 supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in cooperation with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) aimed at strengthening farmers organizations (FOs) and their network in effective engagement in policy processes and in enhancing its economic services to its member. MTCP2 is currently implemented in 8 countries in Southeast Asia including China, 6 countries in Pacific and 4 countries in South Asia.

As MTCP2 draws close to its last year of implementation and in preparation for a prospective new phase, FOs partner in South Asia recognizes the need to expand to other countries so as to ensure broader FO participation and cooperation in the region. In line with this, Bhuttan and Pakistan have been chosen to be expansion countries. In line with this, preliminary profiling of FOs have been done last year/2017 in both countries. Based on the profiling and initial interaction with FOs, interest and willingness to be part of MTCP2 have been expressed. To sustain this interest and to launch the program in Bhuttan and Pakistan, a national synergy forum for farmers’ organization and sustainable agricultural development shall be organized to bring together key national FOs, development partners and government agencies to generate commitment and catalyze the formation of national FO platform.

Objectives

The national farmers’ Forum specifically hopes to:

1. Provide opportunity among key national FOs to share existing activities/initiatives on sustainable and resilient farming practices including collective marketing strategies geared towards identifying common areas for cooperation which can be partly supported by MTCP2.
2. Gain deeper understanding and appreciation on the programs and project of government agencies and development partners related to agricultural development particularly those that relates to developing capacities of small-scale farmers organization.
3. Generate interest and commitment of key national FOs to work together within a national FO platform that will promote the institutional and operational capacity of FO as well as to engage in effective policy processes and improve economic services to members.    
4. Identify potential national implementing agency (NIA) among FOs within the national FO platform.
5. Identify action points towards continuing cooperation within and beyond the MTCP2 program.

Target Participants

1. Key national FOs who participated in the FO profiling in 2017:
   • Pakistan Kisan Rabita Committee
   • Landless Farm Workers Union
   • Women Workers Organization
   • Punjab Peasant Movement
   • Alumni Association Network of IPM (catalyzed by FAO)
   • Pakistan Kisan Ittehad (catalyzed by Action Aid Pakistan)
   • Green Rural Development Organization
   • NPCP (catalyzed by SCope)
   • Sindh Hari Parkiat Council
   • Jamat Een Islami (former wing of Pakistan Kisan Board)
   • Farmers Association of Pakistan (FAP)
   • Fairtrade Producers (workers and Farmers) in Pakistan
2. Key government officials in charge of policies and programs for agricultural development i.e. Department/Ministry of Agriculture/Fisheries/Forestry; Department/ Ministry on Agricultural Cooperatives etc.

1. Development partners (FAO, IFAD, SDC, EU, etc) and other local and international NGOs working/supporting FOs (e.g. OXFAM, Scope)