Session 2a: Presentation of Philippine CSO Platforms

Mr. Socrates Banzuela, National Coordinator of PAKISAMA, shared about 2 existing farmers organizations’ and civil society platforms in the country, such as MTCP 2 and ARDKPP.  MTCP2 is a platform of national farmers’ organizations united for common advocacy agenda, capacity building, and, economic empowerment. ARDKPP or Agriculture and Rural Development Knowledge and Policy Platform, is a multi-stakeholder engagement mechanisms among government agencies, civil society groups, farmers’ organizations, and, development partners in the country. The group first came together to celebrate and promote the International Year of Family Farming in 2014. Now, the group rallies behind policies in support of family farmers’ asset / tenurial security, climate resiliency, market empowerment, and, agri-governance, including gender and youth empowerment in agriculture sector. In the end of his presentation, he expressed his hope for FAO to see more meaningful participation and support to these movements

   

Mr. Cresente Paez of AgriCooPh shared about the organization’s formation and some of its prospects. AgriCoop PH is a national federation of agricultural cooperatives in the country. It was established by 20 primary cooperatives and 24 partner-organizations with an aim of converging to increasing smallholder farmers’ income, especially those members of the agri-cultural cooperatives in the country. AgriCoopPh was duly registered on August 15, 2018. Mr. Paez highlighted AgriCoopPH’s 4-Pillar Strategic Plan: Platform of Engagement and Convergence, such as (1) Business Capacity Development, (2) Competitiveness, (3) Coop-to-coop Cooperation, and, (4) Enabling Environment.