Agricultural Advocacy

Building an Effective Advocacy Movement for Sustainable and Equitable Agricultural Development in Africa

Since 2009, we have been working to strengthen policy advocacy activities for sustainable and equitable agricultural development in Africa. Our focus is on building the capacity of communities of advocates within national coalitions of farmers’ organizations, unions, associations and intermediary NGOs, to hold their governments accountable to their Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) commitments for agricultural development, to reduce hunger and increase prospects for food security and nutrition.

The agriculture advocacy program aimed at enhancing policy advocacy capacity within smallholder farmers organizations, associations and intermediary NGOs representing the interests of smallholder farmers in seven African nations (Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi) to participate in policy making processes for inclusive policies and budget allocations for smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth. Mid-second phase, noting the lack of appropriate livestock policies, the program launched an initiative to create a network of farmers ‘ associations, pastoralist organizations, value chain actors, the private sector and others while also increasing CSOs/NSAs capacity to engage in the Biennial Review processes following the inaugural report which presented African countries performance of the agriculture sector across the 7 commitments of the Malabo Declaration. The program views the BR report as an advocacy instrument for CSOs/NSAs to push for domestication of the CAADP/Malabo Declaration framework and more investment in Agriculture.