The Agriculture Minister and the FAO Representative pose for a family portrait with participants to celebrate the validation workshop, ©FAO/Amadou Bah

"FAO remains committed to supporting The Gambia achieve sustainable economic growth" – FAO Representative

04 March 2021, Banjul – "FAO remains committed to supporting The Gambia roll out its ambitious cooperatives revitalisation and development initiative to stimulate socio-economic growth and sustainable development," said Ms Moshibudi Rampedi, FAO's Country Representative in The Gambia.

During the recent past, the  Gambia Government has emphasised the revitalisation of cooperative societies in the country. Still, without a policy guide, the enthusiasm might be far-fetched, noted Ms Rampedi.

"We are here to serve you", she emphasised whilst delivering a statement during the opening ceremony of a national forum to validate the draft National Cooperative Policy of The Gambia 2020 – 2030. The Policy's overall objective is to harness the cooperatives' potential to contribute to the Gambian economy’s growth, migration flows towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The policy seeks to serve the needs and aspirations of members of cooperative societies and contribute effectively to the attainment of the National Development Goals.

FAO supported the policy's development thanks to the European Union's generous support, which funds the "Agriculture for Economic Growth” Project. The four-year project aims to contribute to sustainable growth in the agricultural sector, reduce food insecurity and malnutrition, create an enabling environment for improved economic growth and mitigate migration flows to Europe.

“There is consensus among international institutions and the development community that cooperatives may hold one of the keys to patterns of rural prosperity around the world. Cooperative enterprises are suitable organisations to help people become active agents that improve their own lives and address dimensions of poverty and exclusion,” the FAOR added.

Cooperative development is an option for spurring economic inclusion and sustainable growth, thereby overcoming poverty, and enhancing food security.

Ms Rampedi used the opportunity to advocate for more government support to the 'cooperatives' revitalisation process, noting that there can only be viable, productive, and efficient cooperatives when the Government provides the policy and regulatory frameworks needed.

In her keynote statement, Mrs Amie Fabureh, Minister of Agriculture, acknowledged with gratitude 'FAO's remarkable support and partnership with The Gambian Government, especially in the Agriculture Sector. She described the event as another key milestone in the ongoing reform of institutions under her portfolio.

Mrs Fabureh underscored the importance government attaches to revitalising and transforming  the cooperative societies in the country to make them drivers of economic growth and poverty eradication. She reassured of “the government's unwavering commitment to continue working closely with FAO and all other stakeholders  to achieve the desired cooperative policy”.

Mr Bakary Sonko, Chairman of the National Taskforce for  developing the cooperative policy, expressed optimism that the policy will help the country better harness the investments being made in the country’s agriculture and natural resources sector. He commended the Minister of  Agriculture for her commitment to the 'cooperatives' revitalisation process.

Chairing the event, Mr Ebrima Sisawo, Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Agriculture, challenged participants to add value to the document to ensure it addresses all the key challenges hindering  cooperatives' development in the country.

Donor information: The Rice Value-Chain Transformation Project (RVCTP) under the Ministry of Agriculture funded the validation workshop.Background information

In brief, since the 1950s, there has been a meaningful development of effective  organisations. However, these cooperatives were neither controlled by members nor sustainable because they were based on biased foundations.

Current situation of the cooperative  organisations

The cooperative movement landscape has changed considerably in the recent period with the development of a wide network of cooperatives. New cooperatives are effective organisations providing services to their members. However, in general, they are not yet efficient and sustainable organisations.  Furthermore, there is no National Cooperative Policy, nor is there sufficient government support to the sector. The absence of a policy framework in the country - the rules of the game - left the field open to project donors and NGOs approaches. This situation has  largely invited the development of a profusion of project-led cooperatives with a culture of dependency.

The high number of dormant agricultural cooperatives, 32 % of the total, suggests the efforts to be undertaken.

The savings and credit cooperative societies are a notable exception. They have developed a culture of financial commitments. With no exception, even in  impoverished communities, each member contributes to equity capital and pays monthly fees and savings (Strong Economic Commitment). User services pay-approach generates sustainability as the approach creates sufficient revenue that can be used to develop financial services, credit, and savings. User pay-approach is the only viable solution to cooperatives long-term sustainability. Member contributions are a sign of commitment to the cooperative objectives. They demonstrate, in a tangible way, members engagement within these cooperatives