Against a backdrop of growing inequalities between farmers worldwide and the exclusion of smallholders, the NGO Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) works with farmers' organizations in the South to help them develop their capacities to participate directly in conventional markets and work together under better conditions. AVSF also helps them position themselves on alternative markets that are sometimes better suited to smallholder farming. Creating farmers' organizations is the best way for smallholders to strengthen their connections with agricultural and food supply chains, generate more income from their products and achieving a fairer distribution of the added value. They also represent smallholders and help them defend their interests by negotiating policies at the local, national and international levels.

This guidelines document, produced by AVSF, was drawn up with AVSF and its partners’ experiences with farmers' organizations in the South. It presents a conceptual and methodological framework to support the development of capacity building programs for farmers’ organizations. The document is also providing methodological and training tools that can be helpful for the different stakeholders involved in the development of agricultural sectors and regions.