Enabling farmers to proposer through reliable national support systems and partnerships

For most farmers, adopting better practices means many important benefits. They are able to considerably increase both yields and product quality. They can also reduce environmental impact and improve social conditions for themselves and their workers. Meanwhile, by diversifying production systems, they can improve income, food security and resilience to climate change.

But, to embrace better practices, farmers and farmer organizations need long-term support from governments and other key national institutions such as traders, exporters, NGOs, research institutes and chambers of commerce.

Government are primarily responsible for providing good quality and accessible support to all farmers. The Green Commodities Programme supports by analyzing farmers’ needs and how national systems need to be reformed to improve support to this often-marginalized group.

A unique aspect of our work in this area has been to forge partnerships between the public and private sectors. We engage with the private sector operating in producer countries and governments to pilot innovative ways of supporting farmers. If successful, these can be scaled-up to reach a significant enough number of producers to have an impact on poverty and environmental protection. This approach combines private sector expertise and efficiency with government mandate and resources.