Introduction
Producer organisations are crucial both on the demand and the supply side of RAS. On the demand side, they identify and synthesise needs, demands, and solutions for farmers. They contribute to monitoring and evaluation of RAS, and participate in policy formulation. On the supply side, producer organisations provide and co-finance RAS activities.
Producer organisations’ strengths in RAS derive from their knowledge about farmers’ contexts and needs. Together with their capacity to provide unbiased advice, often linked to other services such as marketing, this leads to a high level of trust from their clients.
Due to their role on the demand- and supply side of RAS, producer organisations are crucial in GFRAS. In order to strengthen participation and collaboration, GFRAS implements activities to strengthen producer organisations’ role in RAS.
Presentation for public use to discuss widely the role of producers organisations in RAS (pptx 1.7MB)
Conclusions of the 4th GFRAS Annual Meeting and follow-up e-collaboration were collated in the discussion paper “Demanding and Supplying Effective Rural Advisory Services: Farmer Organisations’ Role”. During a side event at the Farmers’ Forum 2014, taking place on 20 February, the paper was be presented and discussed.