Eastern Africa Farmers Federation By Stephen Muchiri CEO-EAFF POLICY DIALOGUE FANRPAN MAPUTO-MOZAMBIQUE 1 st October 2

1. Vision ''Prosperous and cohesive Eastern Africa farmers community” Mission “Represent, lobby and advocate for farmers interests and build their capacities.” www.eaffu.org; info@eaffu.org; Nairobi, Kenya EASTERN AFRICA FARMERS FEDERATION (EAFF) Eastern Africa Farmers FederationBy Stephen MuchiriCEO-EAFFPOLICY DIALOGUE FANRPANMAPUTO-MOZAMBIQUE1st October 2009 The Voice of Farmers of Eastern Africa

2. Outline • Who we are • Secretariat • Membership • Governance • Key members • Key committees • Key programs

3. Who is EASTERN AFRICA FARMERS FEDERATION? • Are a sub-Regional Farmer Organization HQ’d in Nairobi, Kenya • Are a Democratic organization (last elections July 2009) • Have voluntary membership • Strive to promote the interests of farmers within the region on issues touching on markets; productivity; capacity; information & Regional Integration

4. Secretariat • Main Office – Nairobi • Sub-office – Arusha; Tz • National Desks – Focal points • Chief Executive • Program officers (Policy; Trade; Communications; field services; M&E); • Finance dept ( Finance Manager; Assistant); Admin • Capacity at National level (for implementations) – various POs

5. Strategic objectives Strategic Plan (2008-2011) • Lobby and advocacy – master plan • Capacity building of members and Org- leadership; mgt • Information sharing & communication – Communication plan • Partnerships and alliances- networking • Sustainability – Biz plan; membership • Diversification of membership- role of women; youth • Enhancing relations between members and member orgs – focal pts • Cross cutting: Environment; HIV-AiDs and Gender

6. Membership Our scope is the Eastern Africa – Membership scope in EAC; COMESA & IGAD; National/Apex level of Farmer Orgs; Co-operatives; Commodity Associations; women and youth orgs in Agriculture Currently • Kenya Kenfap; KNFC • Uganda UNFFE; UCA • Tanzania MVIWATA; TFC • Rwanda IMBARAGA; INGHABO • DRCongo FOPAC(SYDIP; COOCENKI); LOFEPACO • Burundi CAPAD • Ethiopia Oromia Coffee (focal point) • Ethiopia and Eritrea for membership; • & will be profiling Sudan and Djibouti

7. GOVERNANCE • Congress – this is the Apex organ; and comprises the General Assembly meeting every four years; the climax is the election of new officials; …2009 • Council – this is the second highest organ meeting atleast once a year, its work is to monitor the functions of the Board, currently comprises 5 nominated members from each member country…meets once a year • BoD – is the management arm that receives and approves reports of the organization, meets atleast thrice a year and comprises two nominated members from each member country • Constitution – this is the approved governance manual that chats the roles and responsibilities of all governance organs as well as the funtions of the organization

8. KEY PARTNERS • RFOs- PAFFO (SACAU; ROPPA; PROPAC; MAGHREB…); AFA • RECs –AU; COMESA; EAC;….IGAD & Govts (National) • RESEARCH – ASARECA; FARA; ICIPE • DEV PARTNERS – IFAD/EU; SCC; Agrittera; GTZ; FAO; Belgium govt ;ACP Secretariat; CTA ; COLE-ACP; Slovak-Aid (TIMAN); • NGOs – CSA; Terra Nouva; ACORD; OXFAM • Potential partners – VECO; AGRA; UNIDO; HIVOs; GEIST

9. KEY COMMITTEES WE SITpartnerships formalized • MoU with EAC • MoU with COMESA • MoU with FANRPAN • Pursuing Observer status in EAC • Accreditation by UNCTAD • MoU with CSA; SCC

10. KEY COMMITTEES WE SIT • ACP EU Joint Parliamentary Committee • ReSAKKS Steering committee • AU-ECA AfDB Land Policy Initiative • Governing Council of Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism (AFFM) at AfDB • Fertilizer Advisory committee in IFDC • ASARECA Board • CAADP ERG Pillar II • Committee on Transboundary diseases – EAC • Board of ACTESA • Among other Consultative groups/ committees at the Regional level

11. SOME KEY PROGRAMS2008-9 • Farmers Fighting Poverty program – Agrittera (membership; youth w/shop) • SRBO program with GTZ (EAC CU& CM; policy master plan; lobby committee) • COLE-ACP PiP training program on food safety • Policy and Advocacy training – CTA • Farmer empowerment prog. – ASARECA • Management training of Co-ops – Slovak Aid • ALL-ACP Agricultural Commodities Program- value chains- FAO • PAEPARD program with FARA – partnerships with EU orgs in AR4D • Studies support on impact of Regional policies to Farmers in EA – Terra Nouva • IFAD-EU support to FOs capacities (institutional capacity; studies)

12. SOME KEY PROGRAMS • Studies on regional markets with Terra Nouva • Study on impact of CM on small holders – GTZ • CAADP – at National level…position • Regional youth and women program • MOAAS program with AFAAS-NI • Information and communication prog with CTA • Transboundary disease project- Tsetse fly prog. With ICIPE • Organizing a regional conference on Biogas as an alternative energy • Organizing workshop Climate change: awareness; adaptation with FAO • Developing am M&E program with ASARECA • Developing a partnership program with EAC

13. SOME ADVOCACY AREAS Farming as a business • Trade facilitation and markets – EAC CM; COMESA CU; AU CM EPAs- • CAADP – Pillars; participation • Agriculture innovations/technologies – conventional vis-à-vis GMOs / alternative energy; crop nutrition (manure/fertilizer use) • climate change – environmental degradation – Biofuel-land grabbing; agro-forestry • Land tenure- ownership • Education system • Among others

14. SOME CHALLENGES • Pessimism/ perception- history; traditional; Representation/ organization/ visibility • Resources vis-à-vis capacity- Insufficient skills; evidence based studies; in-effective lobby; tools • M&E – tracking policies; evaluation; measuring performance/change • Sustainability- • Political- national level; REC level • Dynamism of Agriculture; high expectations • Globalization – Climate change; energy; pressure on land use; financial crunch; etc

15. The End THANK YOU! MERCI!