A year worth celebrating!
The year 2023 was a year of nurturing the AgriCord alliance’s existing partnerships but also expanding to new connections. We launched new initiatives in addition to the six on-going programs.
AgriCord is an alliance of 13 Agri-Agencies mandated by Farmers' Organisations. Our programmes reached 1.005.043 Farmers' Organisations’ members, and benefited 173.367 farmers directly, this year. Also, 1.679 women and youth from our partner Farmers' Organisations were empowered into leadership positions to push towards more inclusive and sustainable food systems!
The FO-RI programme, enables Farmers' Organisations to lead research and innovation in agroecology towards sustainable food systems. The programme is implemented in partnership with the European Commission and the ACP Secretariat (OACPS). This year’s knowledge sharing activities included a workshop for FO-RI and FO4ACP projects to exchange on seed systems and seed related policy frameworks, a joint AgriCord-CSA workshop on action research and experience capitalization for advocacy purposes, and virtual sessions with FO-RI partners and GFAR to reflect on the principles for a quality research partnership. You can learn more about all the 17 action research projects from the factsheets. Also, PAFO – the Pan-African Farmers' Organisation - and the regional Farmers' Organisations advocated for an enabling environment for farmer centric research and innovation in agroecology. Read PAFO’s study on this topic. In the course of 2024, we shall share more results and impacts from the work on the ground – stay tuned!
The FO4 programmes – FO4ACP Africa and Caribbean, FO4Asia and FO4LatinAmerica, financed by the EU and OACPS with IFAD as the management agency. They are co-implemented with the regional Farmers' Organisations and PAFO and dedicated to strengthening the institutional capacities of Farmers' Organisations and improving their business and service provision. The Farmers' Organisations strengthened by the FO4 programs have already mobilised over 6 million of additional working capital and investment financing for their bankable business plans!
SEPOP, with AFD as the financial partner, continued to work with Farmers' Organisations in Latin America and Africa producing strong results in promoting agroecological practices and production models, as well as strengthening Farmers' Organisations’ lobby and advocacy.
FO4FS: we were excited to start working in partnership with GIZ in 2023 to launch this multi-country programme in Africa focusing on food systems!
Forest and Farm Facility : we continued also this work within a partnership between FAO, IIED, IUCN and AgriCord, which is hosted by FAO in Rome.
In addition, AgriCord is grateful for DGD Belgium’s support for our alliance wide knowledge management and climate work.
Nearly 1.000 knowledge exchanges (peer-to-peer or broader) and products were developed to enrich members’ activities and to foster fruitful partnerships.
Regular governance meetings ensure maximum inclusivity and coordination of the Alliance. General Assemblies, Board and Presidium meetings, Program & Audit Commissions and Resource Mobilisation & Partnership Committee meetings in addition to Strategic discussions with key partners regularly provide fora for lively dialogues.
We are delighted to welcome back Agriterra as a member of the alliance to complement our competencies and animate the engagement between all AgriCord agri-agency members.
During COP28 the collaboration with the farmers' constituency and all Farmers' Organisation members at different levels was essential to us. WFO and WRF internationally, PAFO continentally, and all the Regional Farmer organisations worldwide: AFA in Asia, PIFON in the Pacific, COPROFAM in Latin America and all African partners: ROPPA, EAFF, SACAU, PROPAC and UNMAGRI - thank you all for the cooperation!
What’s next?
In 2024, we will keep expanding our horizon, enhancing the quality of our work to bring even better results to farmers. Our key thematic areas of work will be Access to Finance, Agroecology and the holistic strengthening of Farmers' Organisations.
During the past 20 years, AgriCord has reinforced the collaboration between Farmers' Organisations and Agri-Agencies to put farmers where they belong - at the centre of food systems. We will continue to do so in 2024!
Strategic dialogues with Farmers' Organisations at all levels is crucial to steer our actions into the right direction. We remain committed to our core mission: to work for a future where the livelihood conditions of farmers, their families and rural communities are better thanks to strong Farmers' Organisations capable to offer solutions to global and local challenges.
Stay in touch: subscribe to AgriCord’s CrossRoad newsletter and interact on Linkedin and Twitter!
We look forward to working together with you and we wish you the very best for 2024!