Contract farming is increasingly recognized as an innovative business modal, particularly in developing regions, for strengthening linkages between producers and buyers. It can facilitate smallholder producers to access market, technology and productive resources. When effectively implemented, contract farming can benefit both producers and buyers and contribute to inclusive growth and sustainability-aligned outcomes.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been responding to growing demand from Member States, development partners and the public by sharing knowledge, best practices and experiences, building capacities and providing technical support on contract farming.
FAO’s work in this area is led by a multidisciplinary team in collaboration with a wide range of partners. Our efforts focus on agribusiness, legal and operational dimensions of contract farming, and are primarily organized into two areas: knowledge management and technical support for programmes and projects at national and regional levels. Our target audience includes practitioners, policy makers, value chain actors, researchers and other stakeholders across public and private sectors.
We invite you to explore this page to learn more about FAO’s work on contract farming and visit CFRC’s news and other sections for resources and updates.
- Our team
- Knowledge management
- Technical support
FAO’s contract farming team comprises core members from
- The Agrifood Economics and Policy Division (ESA) that focuses on agribusiness and operational aspects of contract farming.
- The Development Law Service (LEGN) on legal and regulatory issues.
Our work is collaborative and multidisciplinary, involving collaborators and partners, such as academic institutions, organizations such as the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), as well as stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. The collaborative endeavor on contract farming has spanned over three decades.
Our team develops and manages knowledge resources, facilitates exchanges of knowledge and best practices and experiences, and supports advocacy and policy development for contract farming.
Key activities include:
- Managing FAO’s Contract Farming Resource Centre (CFRC), a platform offering news updates, learning and training materials, publications, tools and other resources.
- Supporting capacity building initiatives, including developing and delivering training, facilitating knowledge and experience sharing and providing advisory services.
- Developing and disseminating knowledge products, such as case studies, guidelines, publications, technical reports, learning materials and tools, to advance knowledge and share best practices and experiences.
- Advocating and promoting contract farming through a variety of engagements, such as contributions to expert panels, international events, articles, interviews and global initiatives such as the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems and the World Bank’s Enabling the Business of Agriculture.
Technical support to country and regional projects is a core part of our work. Grounded in a participatory, community-driven approach, our support emphasizes capacity development to ensure local ownership and long-term sustainability.
We provide evidence-based analysis to help stakeholders make informed decisions on adopting, implementing and upscaling contract farming, develop needs-driven and context-specific design and recommendations and promote an enabling environment for contract farming.
Our technical support includes:
- Training and capacity development – delivering training and advisory services, coordinating stakeholder engagement and working groups and facilitating participatory project design and implementation.
- Legal, regulatory and policy support – assessing legal and regulatory frameworks, providing expert guidance, supporting legislative drafting, and fostering an enabling environment for contract farming.
- Strategic analysis and project support– conducting value chain and feasibility analysis to evaluate opportunities, capacities and risks, informing adoption and strategic decisions and guiding project design and implementation.
- Facilitating linkages and pilots – connecting producers, buyers and other value chain actors, such as input suppliers, extension and financial services, supporting pilots and the development and negotiation of model contract agreements.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact us at [email protected].