According to the FAO, IFAD and the WFP, 805 million people in the world – one person in nine – suffer from hunger. Humanity has the means to put an end to hunger, but the key will be to invest in family farming to ‘feed the world by producing more and better with less means’. This in turn requires the creation of strong, representative and well-structured farmers’ organisations, which can defend the interests of family farming.
Mainly directed at stakeholders in rural development in sub-Saharan Africa, this timely guide aims to contribute to the creation of proper, professional farmers’ organisations through the implementation of technical and organisational capacity-building tools. With the provision of numerous examples, tables and tips for success, it covers topics such as measuring management capacity, strengthening organisational and technical capability, and developing support tools for the umbrella organisation.
With these organisations better able to deliver professional services to members, farmers can be recognised as stakeholders in their own right. This will put them in a better position to address the nutrition, socioeconomic and environmental challenges currently faced by society.