Training on Business Continuity Plan for Farmers’ Organizations

The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV) are collaborating to deliver a series of Business Continuity Plan (BCP) trainings designed to strengthen the resilience and preparedness of farmers’ organizations. This Training of Trainers (ToT) is exclusively open to AFA members and farmers’ organizations under the Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Forum.

The series of training will be conducted on the following dates:

Business Continuity Plan Overview: Introduction to Business Continuity Management System
July 23, 2026 | 15:00 – 17:00 UTC+08:00 (Philippines) | Online

Business Continuity Plan Framework
August 25–27, 2026 | 14:00 – 18:00 UTC+08:00 (Philippines) | Online

Practicum
September 28–30, 2026 | On-site (TBA)

Click here to register or scan the QR code below.

I. Rationale

The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), in collaboration with the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation (DGRV), has been actively working to strengthen the capacities of farmers’ organizations (FOs) across Asia. In 2022, foundational trainings on financial management and governance were conducted and later cascaded by trained facilitators to their respective members. These efforts have demonstrated tangible, positive impacts at the grassroots level.

Building on this progress, AFA—through the Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) program—carried out enterprise evaluations of various FOs, prioritizing those with FO4A-approved business plans. These assessments examined key operational areas including organizational management, financial stability and profitability, productivity and market access, inclusivity, and sustainability.

However, the findings revealed significant gaps, particularly in the area of climate resilience. Many FOs continue to face challenges in coping with climate-related disruptions that affect their production systems and capacity to meet market demands. Moreover, a key weakness identified is the lack of formalized management instruments such as Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), Strategic Plans, and Succession Plans—tools that are vital for ensuring operational sustainability amid external shocks.

The rationale of this activity is to provide a strategic framework that defines a detailed, forward-thinking approach to establishing procedures, guidelines, and processes necessary for maintaining an organization’s critical operations during and after unexpected disruptions. The purpose is to minimize downtime, protect essential resources, and strengthen business resilience in the face of unforeseen events driven by political, economic, and environmental factors.

II. Objectives

• To provide a platform for sharing insights, best practices, and experiences on business continuity planning among farmers’ organizations, while discussing practical strategies, tools, and partnerships that strengthen organizational resilience and ensure continuity of operations during disruptions.
• To enhance participants’ understanding of risk assessment, business impact analysis, emergency response, and recovery planning, enabling farmers’ organizations to identify potential threats, assess their impacts, and develop appropriate mitigation and continuity strategies.
• To strengthen the capacity of farmers’ organizations to integrate the results of the Farmers’ Enterprise Assessment Tool towards Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable Enterprise (FEAT to RISE) into their Business Continuity Plans by identifying critical risks, prioritizing recovery actions, and building resilient enterprise operations.
• To provide a practicum where participating farmers’ organizations develop, present, and refine their own Business Continuity Plans through guided exercises, simulation of disruption scenarios, peer learning, and facilitator feedback, resulting in organization-specific and actionable BCPs ready for implementation.

III. Points of Discussion

IV. Program: Session 1