ROPPA
ROPPA is an initiative specific to peasant and farmer organizations in West Africa. It brings together 13 national (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) and associated (Cabo Verde and Nigeria) farmers' organizations.
From the outset, ROPPA has positioned itself as mechanism for the defence and promotion of family farms, which make up the main agricultural production system in West Africa. Its operations are based on three main principles:
- Peasant solidarity – giving a seat at the table to everyone by including all categories of peasant organization and agricultural producer in each country, and supporting farmers' organizations, agricultural producers and their members in recognizing their identity, their rights and their roles;
- Consensus – the preferred approach to decision-making and acting together;
- Transparency – by reporting regularly and ensuring the renewal of mandates.
ROPPA’s mission is to foster the development of family farms and peasant agriculture while influencing policies that foster the liberalization of the national economy and respond to the globalization of trade. Its vision revolves around socioeconomic development in West Africa, based on:
- A peasant agriculture that is solidary, socially and environmentally sustainable;
- The sustainable management of natural resources;
- Decent agricultural incomes and decent, sustainable jobs in rural areas.
WAW’s partnership with ROPPA
WAW and ROPPA work together under the umbrella of ROPPA’s regional family-farm initiative to strengthen the capacity of national family-farm observatories.
The rationale for this collaboration is based on:
- The predominance of family farming in West African countries;
- The insufficient knowledge on family-farm assets and performance; and
- The need to change prejudices and unhelpful dialogues that cast doubt on family farmers’ ability to feed the population of West Africa.
As with all WAW projects, the data generated by these national observatories, which are led by national farmers’ organizations, will lead to targeted investment policies. Initial talks with ROPPA have pinpointed eight target countries: Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
WAW further took part in ROPPA’s meetings on the Observatory of Family Farms (September 2017 in Thies, Senegal, and July 2018 in Ganta, Liberia) and members of the WAW secretariat attended the Seventh ROPPA Convention in Banjul, Gambia, in December 2018.