STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITIES OF PRODUCER … · 2020. 4. 30. · producer organizations as a distinct form of economic enterprise would be needed, reflecting their specific character

STRENGTHENING NATIONAL CAPACITIES OF PRODUCER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NENA REGION

January 2020

Countries: Lebanon, Oman and Sudan

Project Codes:

FAO Contribution:

Duration:

TCP/RAB/3603

USD 400 000

1 April 2017 – 31 December 2019

Contact Info: FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa

[email protected]

SDGs:

©FAO RAB


T C P /R AB /3603

Implementing Partners

Ministry of Agriculture (Lebanon), Ministry of Agriculture

and Fisheries (Oman), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

(Sudan).

Beneficiaries

Producer organizations (POs) and their members,

decision-makers within the key ministry partners (such as

the Ministries of Social Welfare and Finance in Sudan),

actors and service providers involved along the value

chains and consumers.

Country Programming Framework

Strategic Objective 3: Reduce Rural Poverty.

Provision of infrastructure development to the rural poor

and, more specifically, contribution to Organizational

Output 30101, “Support to strengthen rural organizations

and institutions and facilitate empowerment of rural

poor”, and Output 30104, “Support to innovations in rural

services”.

Country Programming Framework Outcomes

Lebanon (2016-2019)

Country Outcome 2: Productivity and competitiveness of

Lebanese agricultural products increased, good

governance and sustainable use of natural resources

responding to climate change impacts improved (Ministry

of Agriculture Strategic Plan 2015-2019).

Output 2.3: Capacities of the Ministry of Agriculture and

other concerned institutions developed in data and

policy support (including social protection systems), with

special focus on gender to foster rural development.

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Oman (Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development

Strategy 2040)

Outcome 1: Crop sector competitiveness increased.

Intermediate Outcome (IO) 1.1 – Technical and

organizational innovations promoted, high-value varieties

developed, crop yield and nutritional quality increased.

Outcome 2: Livestock sector competitiveness increased.

IO 2.2 – National poultry industry competitiveness and

sustainability enhanced.

IO 2.3 – Apiculture practices and technologies,

organization of producers, value addition and marketing

enhanced.

Outcome 3: Sustainable management of natural

resources in agriculture enhanced.

IO 3.2 – Capture, reuse and storage capacity of water

to agriculture increased.

Outcome 5: Rural communities empowered and rural

livelihood opportunities improved.

Outcome 6: Enabling institutional environment for

agriculture and rural development strengthened.

IO 6.1 – Institutional and regulatory framework enhanced

and enforced.

IO 6.3 – Provision of inclusive financial services improved.

IO 6.4 – Knowledge base for agriculture and rural

development strengthened.

IO 6.6 – Social support to agriculture and rural

development enhanced.

Sudan (2012-16):

FAO-CPF Priority Area 2: Capacity-building of agricultural

research, technology and knowledge development and

transfer for enhanced productivity, production and

competitive institutions, systems and mechanisms in

agriculture, forestry, and fisheries of Sudan.

Outcome 2.2: Productivity and production of agricultural,

livestock, fisheries and forest products significantly

increased, cost of production reduced and

competitiveness of products gained, livelihood of small

producers and pastoralists improved, efficiency of existing

irrigation system enhanced and, through water harvesting

and exploitation of underground and surface water,

additional ones developed and effect of weather changes

on production and producers’ income reduced.

Output 2.2.1 – Supporting more adequate and timely

supply of agricultural inputs and services to producers

through capacity-building.

Output 2.2.2 – Rural infrastructure improved and

expanded.

Output 2.2.3 – Marketing cost through improved road

and marketing facilities reduced through FAO technical

assistance.

©FAO RAB

©FAO RAB


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IMPACT

The project was expected to improve food security and

livelihoods in rural areas in the NENA region through POs.

ACHIEVEMENT OF RESULTS

In Lebanon, all three project outputs were successfully

delivered. FAO acquired resourceful insights about the

cooperatives’ environment and status in the country,

and shaped partnerships with the concerned

stakeholders, engaging in the improvement of the legal

and institutional contexts. Based on the needs identified

and in a highly participatory manner, FAO built the

capacities of a number of cooperatives by providing them

with knowledge, tools and information that, if used, might

improve performance and enable the SSFF to thrive. The

present project paved the way for FAO to prepare and

implement a Government Cooperative Programme (GCP)

project targeting female cooperatives and associations,

“Support to women cooperatives and associations in the

agrifood sector in Lebanon”, the objective of which is

to increase the contribution of women’s

cooperatives/associations to local economies.

In Oman, three pilots were implemented to support

collective forms of action in the country. The results of the

mapping, participatory profiling and of the three pilots

with the Omani farmer association, the Aflaj (traditional

water users) and coastal women’s associations suggested

that new commercially-oriented farmers’ associations are

evolving and aiming for good performance, despite the

legal limitations to functioning as profit-seeking

associations. There is a clear possibility to improve the

existing associations (including Aflaj and coastal women)

through the development of a national programme and

on the basis of lessons learned from better performing

associations in Oman, as well as by reshaping and

contextualizing international experiences. The

introduction of new legislation is a relevant need for the

country. A new law recognizing agricultural and fisheries

producer organizations as a distinct form of economic

enterprise would be needed, reflecting their specific

character with both social and economic features and

objectives and allowing them sufficient flexibility and

independence to act as autonomous institutions. The law

should also contain gender-sensitive measures that

ensure that women have equal access to such

organizations and are represented at leadership level. For

the project’s three target groups, FAO is engaging with

the relevant stakeholders in the country to develop

follow-up projects to address some of the important

needs that emerged during the project.

BACKGROUND

Small-scale family farming accounts for more than 80

percent of agricultural production in the Near East and

North Africa (NENA) region and plays an important role in

food security, poverty alleviation and sustainable

management of natural resources. The average land

holding size has decreased in the past decades, while at

the same time there has been an increase in the number

of SSFF and in total agricultural land. Small-scale family

farmers (SSFF) do not have the possibility of realizing

economies of scale or developing a market power

comparable to their trading partners. In addition, they

face high transaction costs and difficulties in accessing

productive services and resources and are therefore

generally unable to seize economic opportunities. Ageing

farmer populations and limited access to social protection

and productive assets such as financial services, water and

land and activity and input markets represent severe

constraints for the development of SSFF and their

organizations, thereby limiting opportunities for

employment in agriculture.

Strengthened producer organizations (POs) can help SSFF

to overcome the barriers they face and develop innovative

organizational arrangements that broaden their

capabilities. They also enable farmers to benefit from an

array of services, including access and management of

natural resources, markets, credits, inputs and

information, as well as influencing policy-making

processes. Crucially, POs are a vehicle for encouraging

rural populations to remain in their territories instead of

migrating to urban centres or to other countries.

The project took into account the challenges faced by SSFF

and put forward methodologies and tools to address the

root causes of economic and social exclusion. It aimed to

support the development of performing, inclusive and

equitable POs through programmes, policies and

strategies that reflect the need to empower SSFF, in

particular women and youth. This was achieved through

three main outputs, namely (i) an enhanced institutional

environment to facilitate the improvement and

strengthening of POs, (ii) creation of knowledge and

awareness on the state of POs in each of the target

countries and (iii) strengthening of POs to boost the

development of small-scale family farming organizations.


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3

SUSTAINABILITY

1. Capacity development

The project helped to develop legally enforced entities by

registering the POs and mapping and profiling the

processes to be conducted in liaison with the respective

governments. This will enhance the sustainability factor

for POs.

In Sudan, the POs are now mostly registered and have

established an organizational set-up with a hierarchical

structure, in an attempt to support future sustainability.

In Lebanon, the project provided the opportunity

to revitalize the cooperative movement, to support a

self-evaluation of their performance and to compare

themselves with the global cooperative movement.

In Oman, the project enabled the assessment of the great

potential that exists in the country for a collective action

aiming to achieve good performance, despite the legal

limitations to functioning as profit-seeking associations.

Although the project failed to create regional alliances

between POs from the three countries, it succeeded in

establishing networking and partnerships between POs

inside Sudan and among POs from the three countries.

2. Gender equality

The project stakeholders were carefully selected to

include both men and women and were equally targeted

for the capacity-building workshops.

Female POs were carefully selected and included in all

training workshops and given equal chances in the

decision-making process. They were also given the

opportunity to carry out visits outside their respective

countries in order to gain exposure and exchange their

experiences.

3. Environmental sustainability

Environmental sustainability was treated as a cross-cutting

issue throughout all project activities, which succeeded

in instilling values for environmental preservation in PO

operations.

4. Human Rights-based Approach (HRBA) – in particular

Right to Food and Decent Work

The project upheld Human Rights-based Approach

(including Right to Food and Decent Work) by targeting

small-scale producers and empowering them with

tailor-made capacity-building workshops. The training

workshops envisaged human rights approaches to ensure

that POs could provide for themselves through

partnership-building, agribusiness management and

value chain addition to their produce.

In Sudan, the project contributed to improving the

capacities of POs in some areas, including organizational

management, decision-making, good agricultural

practices and the existing legal framework for producer

organizations. Crop and livestock producers and their

organizations were mobilized from the different states of

Sudan and engaged actively in the project activities to

improve the performance of their groups.

IMPLEMENTATION OF WORK PLAN

In Sudan, the project activities were not implemented on

time due to civil unrest and insecurity in the country. As a

result, the final regional workshop was not implemented.

In Lebanon, the implementation of the project

experienced some delays at the inception due to

administrative problems occurring at the Directorate

General of Cooperatives, Ministry of Agriculture.

However, it subsequently proceeded with great

collaboration with the institutions concerned.

In Oman, the implementation of the project followed a

prioritization process agreed with the government

counterparts. Despite the extreme weather conditions

experienced in the country from June to September, the

activities were carried out according to the agreed

schedule with the local teams.

FOLLOW-UP FOR GOVERNMENT ATTENTION

In Lebanon, follow-up actions will be taken through the

separate project GCP/LEB/030/CAN, specifically through

the use of key indicators of the cooperatives’ performance

analysis, up-scaling of the trainings provided and further

improvements to the enabling environment through

increased knowledge of cooperatives’ legislation and

development of the institutional capacity of the

Directorate General of Cooperatives.

In Oman, three important follow-up initiatives will be

implemented in 2020:

The capacities of the Omani farmer association POs

will be strengthened through a peer-to-peer farmer

partnership.

An action research project focusing on the Aflaj

to document their performance, develop

recommendations for improvement and develop the

capacities of one such organization in order to increase

their agro-touristic potential.

A capacity development initiative for Coastal Women

Associations on Small-Scale Invertebrate Fishery in

Al Wusta Governorate is also planned.

In Sudan, the instability of the situation makes it

difficult to envisage any follow-up activities at this

stage.

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5. Technological sustainability

Although the project did not introduce any new

technology, the different POs involved worked together

to help to build partnerships both among themselves and

between POs and respective governments, thereby

enhancing public-private partnership (PPP).

With the motivation and inspiration derived from their

exposure to experiences in different countries, POs are

now in a better position to carry forward the project’s

result.

6. Economic sustainability

In Sudan, through the establishment of a microfinance

system, the Ministry of Agriculture provided tractors to

support the POs. The project succeeded in increasing

financial opportunities for POs through national funding

institutions, such as the Agricultural Bank of Sudan, which

were included in the decision-making process in support

of the POs.

The aspect of economic sustainability was not properly

tackled by the project, as priority was given to the

organizational and group sustainability. The financial

aspect was only one of the components focused upon by

the project, depending on needs. This focus was not

based on direct support but more on how the

organization or group should strategize in order to

diversify funding sources.


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Analytical report of the national legal consultant. G. El Alayli. Beirut, Lebanon. May 2018. 104 pp.

Literature review on ”Strengthening National Capacities of Producer Organizations in the Sultanate of Oman”, including mapping and profiling results of producers’ organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. S. Zekri, T. Gibreel, H. Kotagama. 24 May 2018. 57 pp.

Profiling agricultural cooperatives – case of Lebanon. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon. June 2018. 51 pp.

The Legal Framework governing producers’ organizations in Oman. B. Mubarak. June 2018. Muscat, Oman. 16 pp.

Report on study tour to Italy. June 2019. 16 pp.

Back-to-Office Report: Mission. M. G. Rocchigiani. 8-13 July 2018.

Workshop on Strengthening National Capacities of Coastal Women in Masirah Island – Report. F. Al Kindi. Masirah Island. September 2018. 14 pp.

Study tour to Lebanon. November 2018. 40 pp.

Round-table consultation reviewing legal frameworks. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon. February 2019. 5 pp.

National dialogue with fishers’ cooperatives. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon. 23-24 April 2019. 14 pp.

Back-to-Office Report: Mission. National workshop on POs. M. G. Rocchigiani. May 2019, Muscat, Oman. 6 pp.

Lessons learned, producers’ organizations in Lebanon and Italy. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon. October 2019, 13 pp (currently being finalized).

Synopsis of legal review. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon.

Aflaj workshop report. H. Al Jardali. 48 pp.

Strengthening producer organizations in Sudan: Literature review, mapping and profiling.

Workshop Report: Sudan. “Building a shared vision and an action plan for producers’ organizations in Sudan”.

Legal Report: Producers’ organization legal framework in Sudan.

Synthesis of literature review, mapping and profiling. 18-page report conducted in consultation with the international consultant and the project stakeholders – Sudan.

Participatory planning and visioning. 22-page report prepared by a national consultant – Sudan.

Legal workshop for participatory policy planning prepared by a national consultant – Sudan.

Outreach material

Project fact sheet – Lebanon (1 page in English, 1 page in Arabic).

Project fact sheet – Oman (1 page in English, 1 page in Arabic).

One-page brief on project progress and ways forward in Oman. (English and Arabic).

©FAO RAB

DOCUMENTS AND OUTREACH PRODUCTS

Documents produced

Inception Workshop Report. A. Pizarro. May 2017. Muscat, Oman. 23 pp.

Back-to-Office Report: Mission. National workshop on POs. M. G. Rocchigiani. February 2018. Muscat, Oman. 5 pp.

Back-to-Office Report: Mission. S. Yeshanew. 10-11 April 2018.

Back-to-office Report: Mission. M. G. Rocchigianiand E. McInerney. 16 April 2018.

Desk report for mapping producers’ organizations and cooperatives in Lebanon. P. R. Sfeir. Beirut, Lebanon. May 2018. 48 pp.

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ACHIEVEMENT OF RESULTS - LOGICAL FRAMEWORK


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Expected Impact

Food security and livelihoods improved in rural areas in the NENA region through producer organizations

Outcome

Producer organizations and stakeholders have the knowledge and skills to improve their efficiency and provide an enabling environment for small-scale family farmers to thrive

Indicator LSD is effectively prevented and controlled.

Baseline

Agriculture is important to Sudan’s economy, in particular given the decline of agricultural growth over the past two decades and the secession of South Sudan. In this regard, the establishment and strengthening of forms of collective action, such as POs, is seen as a crucial opportunity for agricultural development in the country. Clear signs of a willingness to move towards this direction include the Agricultural and Livestock Professional Organization Act issued in 2011, as well as government programmes and policies in support of POs, family farming and small scale agriculture such as the Quarter Centennial Strategy (2007-2031) and the 5-year Economic Reform Programme (2015-2019). The contribution of the agricultural cooperatives to Lebanon’s agricultural sector is limited due to an unsuitable environment, limited access of cooperatives to infrastructure and services and limited knowledge of agribusiness development. The situation in Oman was marked by weaknesses in post-harvest operations, a lack of awareness of the benefits of collective action, weak organizational capacities among the various groups and associations and a limited enabling environment for the development of POs.

End Target

For Lebanon, the target was to improve the enabling institutional and legal environment for the cooperatives in a participatory manner and to develop the knowledge and capacity of a number of cooperatives. For Oman, three pilots were implemented to support collective action forms. One of these was with the Omani Farmer Association to analyse their performance, discuss their vision and their business model. The second was with the traditional water users associations (Aflaj) for self-analysis of their performance under conditions of major socio-economic change. From each pilot, a project will be developed and is due to be implemented in 2020. Pilot 1, “Strengthening the Capacities of Coastal Women in Masirah Island”, will lead to a developed project on strengthening the capacities of one group of coastal women.

Comments and follow-up action to be taken

In Sudan, the project contributed to improving the capacities of POs in multidimensional areas, including but not limited to the following: organizational management through a clear vision and mission to achieve desired objectives, decision-making to establish a conducive legal environment through policy formulation and entering the market through proper agribusiness and value chain management. In Lebanon, follow-up action will be taken through the GCP/LEB/030/CAN, with the use of key indicators of the cooperatives performance analysis, by up-scaling the trainings provided and by further improving the enabling environment through increased knowledge of cooperatives legislation and development of the institutional capacity of the Directorate General of Cooperatives. In Oman, the capacities of the Omani farmers’ association and POs will be strengthened through a peer-to-peer farmer partnership, which will be implemented in 2020. In addition, a pilot workshop will be held to enhance the capacity of the Aflaj stakeholders and an action research project focusing on Aflaj is to be implemented in 2020.

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Output 1

Enhanced institutional environment to facilitate the improvement and strengthening of POs

Indicators Target Achieved

Methodology designed to conduct research and field work. Number of stakeholders attending and actively participating in the regional inception and national workshops.

At least 15 at regional level and 15 per country at national workshops.

Fully

Baseline 0

Comments

A methodology and a questionnaire were prepared in collaboration with the FAO Partnerships team and distributed. It includes sections on seven main variables that have a direct impact on activities of the POs, namely effectiveness, relevance, financial viability, motivation, human and material resources, governance and external environment. In order to facilitate the analysis, respondents were asked to express their point of view according to a scoring system numbered 4 (very good), 3 (good), 2 (weak), (1) very weak and 0 (absent). The data collected was analysed with an Excel tool prepared by FAO. Ten individuals, mainly heads of POs, were trained on how to conduct field work through research to identify strengths/weaknesses and areas for improvement, thereby enhancing the institutional environment of POs, which has been neglected for a number of years. Nine individuals from Sudan with different stakeholder backgrounds participated in the different regional workshops intended to bring together participants from the three member countries for the display of best practices, lessons learned and exchange of experiences. Participants will form a core group for future liaison with the other countries for sustainable exchange of information. The methodology adopted to conduct the mapping and profiling of the cooperatives in Lebanon yielded a situational overview of the cooperatives, providing useful insights into their organizational, economic and social contexts, complemented by a resourceful assessment of their performance. The methodology used was instrumental in shifting the concept of cooperative assessment to an improved level based on performance and grounded in relevance, efficiency and financial viability. In addition, the themes introduced in the capacity-building workshops that were provided to cooperatives were new and very helpful to beneficiaries. The knowledge provided by the project, if applied and properly followed up, has the potential to unlock real opportunities to boost the cooperatives and develop the sector. The inception workshop was held in Oman. 40 participants attended – two from Lebanon, two from Sudan and the remainder from the different regions of Oman. Discussions were interactive and led to the establishment of a strong network among the three countries and between the Omani stakeholders. A methodology for conducting research and field work was also developed. The national workshop was considered an important space for dialogue and networking among different producer associations, resources management associations (Aflaj associations), fisheries associations, women’s associations, government representatives, FAO, academic institutions (Sultan Qaboos University) and the private sector.

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Activity 1.1

Identify and analyse existing policies, programmes and enabling factors

Achieved Yes

Comments

The project succeeded in identifying the following trends in Sudan: (i) disseminating and spreading awareness among the participants about the laws and legislations governing the agricultural and livestock producers ' committees and organizations, (ii) highlighting the different forms of required dialogue between the PIs and the concerned government bodies, (iii) understanding the different forms of dialogue and discussion strategies. Accordingly, a number of participants, taking participatory action, succeeded in identifying policy impediments that constrained the progression of POs overtime and further proposed policy replacements in favour of POs. The action itself constituted a turning point in the policy-making process from a top-down to a bottom-up approach, whereby the POs and the Government put heads together. In a follow-up action, amended laws/by-laws were forwarded to the parliament for approval. For Lebanon, the project objectives and methods of implementation were discussed in the regional inception workshop. The methodology for conducting research and fieldwork on POs was defined, the current status and evolution of policies and programmes in Lebanon described and the institutional environment assessed. A review of the legal context was also conducted. A legal review was conducted on the laws governing the POs in Oman. Two workshops were conducted on analysis of existing policies and programmes, with the first focusing on institutional mapping and profiling and the other dealing with the policy environment for the POs. The discussion on the conducive legal framework for producer organizations was extremely important to creating a common understanding among participants on the existing challenges of current legislation in Oman.

Activity 1.2

Develop capacities of governments to formulate and implement policies to reform selected POs

Achieved Yes

Comments

A number of members of staff from Sudan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Justice were trained on policy formulation in support of selected POs for institutional policy reform. Government staff will follow up on the future scaling-up for other POs in the country. In Lebanon, a national workshop on the legal review and constructive dialogue and negotiation was organized and attended by 44 participants. In Oman, based on the outcome of the national dialogue during the legal workshop, there was a request from participants to submit recommendations to the Government for a legislative reform of POs with FAO’s technical support. The legal review included recommendations regarding the review of existing polices and ways forward to formulate and/or amend existing polices to create a conducive environment for POs in Oman. A high-level dialogue on policies and legislation that must encompass all concerned parties has begun in the country.

Activity 1.3

Encourage South-South exchanges among target countries

Achieved Yes

Comments A study tour was organized in Lebanon for four participants each from Lebanon, Oman and Sudan. Participants had the opportunity to visit women’s cooperatives and learned from their experiences, in particular in marketing and packaging.

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Output 2

Knowledge and awareness created on the state of POs in each country


Methodology designed to map and profile POs and field work is conducted effectively. Number of stakeholders attending and actively participating in the visioning exercise.

At least 15 per event in each country. Yes

Baseline 0

Comments

A literature review, mapping and profiling in Sudan revealed that PO law in Sudan is characterized by clustering producers into voluntary organizations that are capable of achieving their economic and social goals through an independent technical, financial and administrative structure to attain high production and productivity. The role of POs can be identified as follows: (i) implement national policies and programmes that target development in agriculture and animal production, (ii) conserve the producers’ rights and empower them to manage their production activities in an efficient and rational manner, (iii) provide technical support to farmers in terms of technical and commercial services such as capacity-building, training, research, studies and collection of information, (iv) contribute to sustainable rural development and poverty reduction, (v) sustain food security at national level, (vi) develop market outlets and facilitate the export of agricultural and animal production and (vii) promote agroprocessing and agro-industry. There are 21 200 registered organizations as per the PO law endorsed in. 3 000 of them are animal producers, while the other 18 200 are crop producers. The project organized a training workshop that brought together over 40 participants from different regions of Sudan to help to build a shared vision and an action plan for POs in the country, which had previously been lacking. A number of carefully selected/promising POs were trained on the development of a common vision and of an action plan for their strengthening, a fact that had not been considered in the past. The PO Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is tasked with scaling up the practice to the rest of the POs in Sudan. In Oman, the methodology to map and profile POs was successfully adapted and implemented by the Sultan Qaboos University as the national consultant of the project, with the support of the international consultant. The performance assessment framework was used to analyse the performance of existing POs (relevance, effectiveness and financial viability). The methodology adopted was the performance assessment questionnaire, which includes agricultural associations, Aflaj and coastal women’s associations. During the national workshop, the preliminary results highlighted the performance of the Omani Farmer Association (OFA) and the performance of the Aflaj. The visioning and participatory analysis highlighted a number of issues and areas of action. These included weaknesses in post-harvest operations, a lack of motivation and awareness of the benefits of collective action, limited capacities in accessing financial support, limited technologies, weak organizational capacities among the different groups and associations and the lack of an enabling environment for PO development. Further awareness-raising should be carried out on the benefits of joining associations.

Activity 2.1

Map of POs using organizational development methodologies

Achieved Yes

Comments

The major conclusion from the desk review and the participatory profiling is that the smallholder production system in Sudan is exposed to many technical, managerial, organizational and social constraints. Low production, the lack of information, the lack of production facilities and good infrastructure, the absence of technology and mechanization, the low professionalization of farmers and limited access to credit are all contributing factors that make the PO ecosystem very fragile. However, the existence of political commitment for PO development through the different government schemes and programmes, as well as the range of donor programmes, underline the relevance and importance of supporting this type of organizations as a tool for development. In Lebanon, mapping was carried out according to the adapted methodology. 112 cooperatives were subject to mapping and three were subject to profiling. In Oman, mapping was carried out according to the adapted methodology. Four farmers’ associations were subject to mapping, one of which was subject to profiling. Six Aflaj associations and one women’s association were subject to mapping.

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Activity 2.2

Develop a common vision and action plan for the reform of POs

Achieved Yes

Comments

The following vision was developed through the workshop in Sudan: “In 10 years’ time, the agriculture sector should be developed through effective producer organizations supported by improved financial policies, procedures, regulations and laws (administrative, technical and marketing), including funds for training and capacity building”. This is to be followed up through the PO Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and reviewed annually. A common vision and an action plan for Lebanon were successfully developed in a workshop attended by 39 participants (nine of them women). In Oman, a common vision and action plan were successfully developed in a profiling exercise with each of the following associations: the OFA (30 participants, including members of the OFA and independent farmers), Aflaj associations (30 managers of falaj, this event was first of its kind to gather falaj mangers from different regions to discuss and agree on one vision and one action plan) and the Masirah women’s association (20 female fish producers).

Activity 2.3

Disseminate the results of successful PO experiences

Achieved Yes

Comments This was achieved through the organization of a regional workshop and a study tour in Lebanon.

Output 3

Strengthened POs to boost the development of small-scale family farming organizations


Number of POs and members (and stakeholders) that have benefited from the project (disaggregated by gender and age). Proposal for a national programme designed in support of POs. Action plan designed and implemented in a pilot case.

At least five POs in each country. One per country. One per country.

Yes

Baseline 0

Comments

At least 10 POs spread across Sudan benefited from the project, in addition to staff from different institutions that were capacitated through the project’s capacity-building programme. However, the project was not successful in writing a national proposal in support of selected POs for further development in a pilot phase, as initially planned in the project document, mainly as a result of financial constraints. In Lebanon, 44 PO representatives, including 11 women, benefited from project activities. The proposal for a national programme was made through a GCP project. A pilot was implemented to support the fishers’ cooperatives to be organized in an apex organization. The proposal for a national programme in Oman was made through a TCP project. Three pilots were implemented to support collective action forms in the country.

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Activity 3.1

Strengthen technical and organizational capacities of pilot POs to perform more efficiently

Achieved Yes

Comments

The pilot phase did not take place in Sudan. In Lebanon, this was achieved through the self-assessment carried out and through the capacity-building Pilot one, the “My Coop” training workshop attended by 21 participants (including four women). In Oman, this was achieved through the development of a capacity development plan during the three pilot initiatives. These are described in detail below. Pilot 1: Strengthening the Capacities of Coastal Women in Masirah Island. 20 coastal women attended the workshop, with their understanding of the importance of collective action increased. During the workshop, the women developed a common vision in order to enhance their productivity and ensure sustainable future growth and livelihoods. The main recommendations to emerge from the pilot were as follows: (i) under the women’s association, a coastal women’s committee is needed, (ii) a system that responds to coastal women’s needs and the nature of their work (i.e. working hours and income) is needed, (iii) financial support is needed to strengthen coastal women’s organizational and technical capacities (governance, management, finance, production, processing, packaging and marketing). This pilot resulted in the development of a project proposal on strengthening the capacities of one group of coastal women. This proposal will be implemented soon as the budget is available, thanks to the resource mobilization efforts of the FAO country office in Oman. Pilot 2: Strengthening the National Capacities of Producer Associations. 30 participants attended the workshop. It is important to note that around a third of participants were women. The latter actively participated in discussions, and were highly interested in developing cooperatives, especially with regard to investment in agrifood production units, with the aim of increasing their income. The capacity development plan focused on the following themes: cooperatives’ principles and value chain management, organic farming and vision, leadership and equity and action planning. Pilot 3: Pilot workshop to enhance the capacity of the Aflaj stakeholders in Oman. This event was the first of its kind to gather 30 falaj managers from different regions to discuss and agree on one vision and one action plan. Participants expressed their interest in a future project focused on improving collective action around Aflaj. FAO Oman has developed a project proposal to be presented to the private sector for funding. In addition, an action research project focusing on Aflaj is due to be implemented in 2020.

Activity 3.2

Develop a common vision and action plan for the reform of POs

Achieved Yes

Comments

This was carried out through the study tour to Italy, which featured the participation of four individuals from each country, including two women (a farmer and a ministry officer) from Oman. The study tour aimed to present the governance and business models of a selected group of Italian small and medium-sized enterprises and agricultural cooperatives, offering an opportunity for participants to reflect on the needs and barriers related to market access and business development of the cooperatives in their respective countries. The study tour was characterized by a very high level of participation and interaction, not only with the hosts but also among the participants.

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T C P /R AB /3603

Activity 3.3

Develop a proposal for large national programmes in targeted NENA countries, in support of the POs

Achieved Yes

Comments

In Lebanon, this was achieved, outside of the framework of the present project, through a GCP project targeting women POs in Lebanon. This project was funded by Canada and launched in March 2019. The project contributed significantly to FAO’s comparative advantage with regard to the cooperative sector in Lebanon and in building partnership with the General Directorate of Cooperatives at the Ministry of Agriculture, which was supportive in conducting the GCP project. In Oman, there are efforts to build upon the findings of the project relating to the three forms of collective action (Aflaj, OFA and coastal women’s groups). FAO Oman has mobilized resources to fund projects aimed at (i) strengthening the capacities of the OFA POs in through a peer-to-peer farmer partnership, (ii) developing an action research project focusing on Aflaj and (iii) strengthening the capacities of one group of coastal women. All three projects are due to be implemented in 2020.

Outreach, Marketing and Reporting Unit (PSRR)

Business Development and Resource Mobilization Division (PSR)

For more information please contact: [email protected]

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