Whereas the organizations accepting this Constitution, being determined to secure the fullest co-operation between organiza­tions of agricultural primary producers in meeting the optimum nutritional and consumptive requirements of the peoples of the world and in improving the economic and social status of all who live by and on the land, agree hereby to the establishment of an International Federation of Agricultural Producers whose objects shall be:

1. to promote the well-being of all who obtain their livelihood from the land and to assure to them the maintenance of adequate and stable remuneration;
2. to exchange information and ideas, to discuss problems of mutual interest, and to develop understanding of world problems and how they affect the agricultural primary producers of the world;
3. to discover mutual interests among such organizations and to take co-ordinated action to further such interests;
4. to encourage, in any manner determined by the Federation, efficiency of production, processing, and marketing of agricul­tural commodities;
5. to confer with, advise, or assist, as the Federation may deem expedient, international organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, on any matters affecting the interests or welfare of agricultural primary producers;
6. to take active steps to encourage the formation and support of independent organizations of agricultural producers through-out the world, eligible for membership of the Federation and to promote their admission to such membership so that the world-wide opinion of agricultural producers may be represented on the broadest possible basis;
7. to do anything, either alone or in concert with any other persons or organizations, conducive or incidental to any of the objects above-mentioned in any part of the world.
8. It is hereby declared that the Constitution of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers shall be and is as follows:

The Federation shall have power to:

1. raise funds and hold property movable or immovable in any part of the world;
2. produce such publications and conduct such publicity as may be necessary;
3. lay the co-ordinated views (as provided in Article III.3) of the national organizations represented in the Federation:
4. before any appropriate international body;
5. before the government of any country; provided that such views shall not be laid before the government of a country represented in the Federation except through the member organization from that country, or where there is more than one member organi­zation in that country, through one of those member organizations by agreement of a majority of member organizations in that coun­try;
6. take necessary steps to develop understanding of world problems;
7. co-operate with any international or national agricultural body whose objects are consistent with those of the Federation;
8. generally take all necessary and appropriate action to achieve the objects of the Federation as set out in the preamble.

Provided Always:

1. that the Federation shall not communicate to any person or body not represented on the Federation any information furnished by a member organization if that member desires that it be treat­ed as confidential; and
2. that nothing shall be done by the Federation in pursuance of its objects which shall interfere with the organization, adminis­tration, and internal management by any member organization of its own affairs.

1. Any organization or combination of organizations recognised by the Federation as substantially and nationally representative of the agricultural primary producers within a country shall be eligible for membership of the Federation.
2. If in any country no organization of agricultural primary producers exists which would qualify for membership under Article II.1, or if such an organization does not desire to become a member of the Federation, it shall be competent for the General Conference to consider applications from regional farm organiza­tions from that country, subject to such organizations being substantially representative of the agricultural primary produc­ers of their region and to their undertaking to promote the broadest possible representation of the agricultural primary producers of their country as a whole within IFAP.
3. Where more than one organization in any one country is admit­ted to membership, it shall, for purposes of Article III.2, be regarded as a single member (hereafter referred to as “member country”) representing that country and the apportionment of representation and voting between the several organizations shall be determined by mutual agreement or, in default of agreement, by the General Conference of the Federation.
4. The member organization or organizations in a country may establish an IFAP national committee provided that the composi­tion and rules governing a national committee are approved by the Executive Committee as being in conformity with guidelines laid down from time to time by the General Conference.
5. If it appears to the General Conference that in any country no organization of agricultural primary producers exists or the organization is such that it does not qualify for membership under the provisions of Article II.I, it shall be competent for the General Conference to make special arrangements for consulta­tion with representatives of such producers with a view to even­tual eligibility for membership.
6. Subject to the provisions of Article VII.3, specialized com­modity organizations, recognized by the Federation as substan­tially representative of the producers of the commodity con­cerned, may be admitted to membership of IFAP commodity groups with the right to vote. With respect to other meetings of the Federation such commodity organizations shall be regarded as observers.
7. Organizations may be approved and admitted to membership by the General Conference only upon application in writing to the Secretariat of the Federation, giving complete details of the objects, rules, and membership of the applicant organization, together with a copy of its current annual or periodical report (if any).
8. Applications shall be referred to the Constitution and Member­ship Committee referred to in Article VII.I (a) which shall report on them to the General Conference, whose decision as to eligibility shall be final. No organization whose application has been rejected by the General Conference shall without the consent of the General Conference make further application until after the expiry of two years from the date of the last application. In case an application is received more than six months prior to a General Conference, it shall be competent for the Executive Committee after the examination, to admit an organization to membership on a provisional basis. Such provisional membership shall open the right to attend meetings in an observer capacity pending referral of the application to the General Conference.
9. An organization whose application for membership has been approved by the General Conference shall assume the rights and privileges of membership only after payment of its first year's subscription.
10. It shall be mandatory upon each member organization, before 31st March in each year, to provide to the Secretariat of the Federation details of any alterations which have taken place n its membership or constitution during the past calendar year and also a copy of its current annual or periodical report (if any), and where applicable, those of its constituent associations.
11. A member organization, having failed to fulfil its financial obligations under Article VIII.3 and 4 for more than two successive financial years, or otherwise acting in the opinion of the General Conference in a manner detrimental to the objects or operation of the Federation as laid down in the Constitution shall be liable to be deleted from the record of membership of the Federation by action of the Executive Committee, and upon such deletion shall forfeit any rights therein. The ex-member organization, however, shall be entitled to ask for review and to be heard by the succeeding General Conference.
12. A member organization may withdraw from the Federation upon the expiry of six months’ written notice of withdrawal given to the Secretariat, and upon and after withdrawal shall cease to have any rights or interest in the Federation provided that the member organization shall discharge all the obligations of membership incumbent upon it until the end of the said period of six months or the end of the current financial year, whichever is the later.

1. public its position of assent, dissent, or abstention in respect of any such decision or resolution in all official publicity on the issue in question.
2. The General Conference shall make its own rules of procedure, subject only to the provisions of Article III.3.
3. The General Conference shall meet at any time within a period of two years from the date of its last Session. The General Conference at each Session shall decide the date and place at which it’s next Session shall be held.
4. Special General Conferences may be called when deemed necessary or advisable by the President and Executive Committee, or upon the demand by not less than one-third of the member countries, in writing, which shall state the business to be brought before the Session.
5. The Secretariat shall send to all member organizations by registered post with provision for acknowledgement of receipt so as to reach each them not less than 90 days before the date fixed for the General Conference, or not less than 40 days before the date fixed for a Special General Conference notice of such Sessions. Such notice shall include a statement of the agenda. Any items received by the Secretary General from any member organisation not less than 60 days before the General Conference, or 20 days before any Special General Conference shall be included and issued in a supplementary statement of agenda. The accidental non-receipt of notice of a meeting or of a supplementary statement of agenda by any member organization shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting, provided that the Secretary General shall obtain, and shall if required produce to the Session, evidence of the dispatch of all notices and supplementary agenda to all member organizations.
6. The President of the Federation shall preside at each Session of the General Conference. In his absence, the General Conference shall elect one of the Vice-Presidents to preside. In case of absence or unwillingness to preside of the Vice-Presidents, the General Conference shall elect one of the representatives of a member country present to preside.
7. The General Conference shall have power to consult or co-operate with regional or continental associations of agricultural primary producers with a view to dealing with their special problems, provided that the General Conference is satisfied that the objects, constitution, and activities of these associations are consistent with those of the Federation.

1. There shall be elected (from representatives of member countries nominated pursuant to Article III.1) by the General Conference at each session, a President and three Vice-Presidents (of equal rank), each of whom shall hold office until a new election at the General Conference next after his election. In the event of a President being unable to complete his terms of office, the Executive Committee shall elect a new President from among the Vice-Presidents. That election shall, in principle, take place at the regular Session of the Committee following the occurrence of the vacancy or, should such vacancy occur more than four months before a regular Session of the Committee, by mail vote. Each of the said Office-bearers is eligible for re-election, provided that if he is seeking a third term of office he must obtain at least two thirds of the votes to run for re-election. If the Office-bearer in question secures enough votes to run, then his name can be carried forward into the election with the other candidates.  This provision being respected, as well as that of Article III.3 the election or re-election from time to time of a President and Vice-Presidents shall be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast [1].
2. An Office-holders’ Committee composed of the President, Vice-Presidents, Past President, and Treasurer, may be convened by the President between sessions of the Executive Committee to take any urgent measures in conformity with IFAP’s policies as circumstances dictate. Moreover the Office-holders Committee shall keep the activities, membership, and financial position of the Federation under close review. The Committee shall report as soon as practicable to the member organizations of the Federation on the results of all its meetings and decisions taken thereat.
3. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be entitled ex officio to attend meetings of all committees and shall also sit ex officio in the General Conference, but they shall not have a vote either in the General Conference or in committees by reason only of their office.
4. The Federation shall not, in principle, defray the expenses incurred by those attending its meetings. In accepting the nomination of one of its representatives to any office in the Federation, a member organization implicitly agrees to finance such expenses for as long as that representative remains in office. This rule may be waived only by specific decision of the Executive Committee.

1. In the event of a member being unable to attend a Session of the Executive Committee and sending an alternate, that alternate shall be fully entitled to participate in the deliberations, to vote, and to be counted in the quorum, provided that due proxy be communicated to the Secretary General before the opening of the Session for which it is valid.
2. The President of the Federation shall act as Chairman of the Executive Committee, provided that in his absence from any Session of the Committee, one of the Vice-Presidents shall be elected by the Committee to act as its Chairman for that Session.
3. The Chairman and one-half of the other members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
4. Any vacancy occurring on the Executive Committee may be filled by the Executive Committee after consultation between the Chairman and members of the Federation in that part of the world to which the vacancy relates.
5. The Executive Committee shall establish its own rules of procedure and voting.
6. The Executive Committee shall meet not less than once a year and as deemed advisable by its Chairman in consultation with the Secretariat of the Federation, or upon request of its members.
7. The Executive Committee shall deal with all matters referred to it by the General Conference.
8. The Executive Committee shall have power, without prior reference to the General Conference, to take action on behalf of the Federation, but only on matters on which the Federation has established a policy.
9. The Executive Committee shall, under the direction of the General Conference:
10. collect subscriptions;
11. lay before the General Conference a budget for the forthcoming subscription year (or years) and the accounts of the Federation for the past financial year (or years) duly audited by a competent auditor, appointed by the previous General Conference or, failing such appointment, by the Executive Committee;
12. accumulate reserve funds which with any other property held by the Federation shall be dealt with by the General Conference as provided by Article VIII.7 et seq.
13. The Executive Committee shall report to the member organizations of the Federation on the results of all its meetings and decisions taken thereat, such reports to be sent within one month following the close of such meetings.

1. The Executive Committee shall appoint the Secretary General of the Federation upon such terms and conditions as the Executive Committee shall decide. The Secretary General shall appoint the other staff of the Federation within the limits set by the budget and the list of staff positions appended to it, and subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the individual appointees to non-clerical positions and of their terms and conditions of employment. The Secretary General shall have regard to the desirability of preserving the international character of the Federation in recruiting staff.
2. The Secretary General shall be the permanent executive officer of the Federation, empowered to act on behalf of the Executive Committee to implement the latter’s decisions. He shall represent the Federation, or arrange for representation, when no official representative is appointed by the General Conference or the Executive Committee, administer the Federation’s moneys and property, and have full authority over all members of the staff.

1. The General Conference shall at each Session elect representatives of member countries to form Committees of the Session to operate for the duration of the Session and to be known as Session Committees. Such Session Committees shall include:
   
   1. Constitution and Membership Committee (which shall deal with all applications for membership submitted under Article II.3, all amendments to the Constitution submitted under Articles IX and XIII, and finance and related matters).
   2. Policy Committee
   3. Steering Committee
   4. Such other Session Committees as the General Conference may deem essential.
2. The General Conference may authorize the establishment of Regional and Standing Committees and Groups subject to the provisions of this article.
3. Commodity Groups may include representative producer commodity associations or boards provided always that such organizations are appointed by, or with the concurrence of, the member organizations in the country concerned. Where appropriate, such organizations shall be nominated through the IFAP national committee.
4. Each committee or commodity group shall (subject to any directions from time to time given by the General Conference):
   1. elect its own Chairman and Vice-Chairmen from among the representatives of member countries. Commodity Groups shall each elect one Vice-Chairman. Regional and Specialised Committee shall each determine the numbers of Vice-Chairmen appropriate to its needs, subject to approval by the Executive Committee.
   2. follow the same rules of procedure and voting as that laid down for IFAP office-bearers in Article IV;
   3. determine its budget on an annual basis to be submitted to the General Conference as part of the overall budget for IFAP. Such budget proposals shall be accompanied by recommendations of the committees and groups and of the Executive Committee on the extent to which the required funds shall be met from general membership revenues, and the extent to which and the manner in which they shall be met from special contributions from participating organizations and by other means. Primary reliance for meeting budget requirements shall be placed on general budget revenues;
   4. appoint such sub-committees as it considers desirable.
5. The activities of each committee and commodity group shall be reported to the General Conference and/or the Executive Committee, and their powers and responsibilities defined from time to time, provided that commodity groups shall not be deemed to speak for the Federation unless and until their resolutions are formally approved by the Executive Committee and, in due course, by the General Conference.

1. The financial and subscription years of the Federation shall be the period from 1st January to 31st December in each year.
2. On being admitted to membership of the Federation in accordance with Article II, a new member organization shall pay such subscription for the remainder of the current subscription year and with such time as the General Conference may determine.
3. The General Conference shall determine at each Session the subscriptions to be paid by member countries for the following subscription year: provided that subscriptions shall be assessed upon the basis of a total sum from organizations in any one country admitted to membership; and that it shall be competent for such organizations to agree between themselves an apportionment of that total sum, and in default of agreement the appointment shall be determined by the General Conference, and provided further that special contributions shall be assessed and paid by participating organisations in support of the specialized activities of such commodity groups as they may wish to join.
4. Subscriptions for any financial year shall be paid within 90 days of the conclusion of the previous financial year, provided that the General Conference, or failing it, the Executive Committee, may permit payment of such subscriptions by half-yearly or quarterly instalments. In the case of a decision not to hold a General Conference within a period of three months after the conclusion of the financial year, subscriptions for the ensuring year should be paid within 90 days, as above, at the rate of the previous year’s subscription, subject to subsequent revision by the next General Conference.
5. In no case shall the subscription determined for the member organization or organizations in any one country exceed 20 per cent of the total amount of the subscription determined by the General Conference at that Session.
6. The Federation may, without prejudice to the provisions of paragraph 5 of this Article as regards membership subscriptions, accept additional moneys from any source by a decision of the General Conference approved by two-thirds of the member countries represented and voting.
7. The General Conference or, in the event of its failure to act, the Executive Committee, shall take such steps as may be necessary and as it shall deem fit to secure the protection of the assets of the Federation, and of the limitation of the liability of its member organizations in respect of the acts and defaults of the Federation.
8. The moneys and other property, movable or immovable, of the Federation shall be under the entire control of the General Conference and (subject to the directions from time to time of the General Conference) of the Executive Committee.
9. The Executive Committee may cause any moneys or other property, movable or immovable, of the Federation to be from time to time invested or deposited with any person, firm, or corporation nominated by the Executive Committee and carrying on the business of banking in the country where the property concerned is situated or transferable. The Executive Committee shall, in each case, delegate this authority to appropriate officers of the Federation.
10. The General Conference shall be at liberty if it thinks fit, to cause the Federation or the General Conference or any Committee or any Nominees of the Federation to be from time to time incorporated according to the laws of any country or countries and may from time to time cause any corporation so incorporated to be in like manner dissolved.
11. There shall be a Treasurer elected by the General Conference to be a member of the Executive Committee whose functions shall be the following:
    1. maintaining relationships with all member organizations on matters concerning the financing of the Federation, including subscriptions;
    2. making proposals to the General Conference with respect to the finances of the Federation and the apportionment of shares of the budget between member countries;
    3. consulting new members with respect to the level of their subscription;
    4. keeping under review the overall financial position of the Federation and advising the Executive Committee and General Conference in this respect;
    5. preparing, in consultation with the Secretary General, a draft budget for submission to the Executive Committee, and advising on financial and budgetary matters.

1. Any amendments of this Constitution may be proposed at a General Conference, provided that 70 days notice of such amendment has been received by the Secretary General of the Federation from the member organization proposing it, and notice of the amendment has been sent to each member organization by the Secretariat as soon as practicable thereafter and not less than 60 days before the General Conference.
2. Such amendments may be brought into force, provided that:
   1. Any such amendment as aforesaid may be discussed, but shall not be voted upon, at the General Conference at which the same is proposed.
   2. Unless withdrawn by the proposer, each such amendment shall be voted upon by the General Conference at the next Session after the Session at which the same shall have been proposed.
   3. Any such amendment, if carried by two-thirds of the votes of such member countries as are represented and vote (subject to the provisions of Article III.3 (a)) at the General Conference voting upon such amendment shall forthwith take effect and operate as a modification of this Constitution. Any amendment voted upon and not so carried shall be entirely void and shall not be capable of being voted upon again, unless again proposed and otherwise dealt with as hereinbefore provided.
3.  
   1. Should the General Conference, after discussion of an amendment, determine by a majority of two-thirds of the votes of such member countries as are represented and vote, that the said amendment is urgent, an accelerated adoption procedure shall be applied.
   2. 90 days after the end of the General Conference at which an urgent amendment has been discussed, a mail vote shall be taken and the amendment be carried and take effect as a modification of his Constitution upon receipt by the Secretary General of the favourable votes of two-thirds of the member countries so voting. No such amendment shall be carried unless the aforementioned two-thirds represent at least fifty-one per cent of the total membership.
4. Any questions arising on the interpretation of this Constitution shall be submitted to the courts under whose jurisdiction the seat of the Federation is situated and their decision shall be final.

The seat of the Federation shall be chosen by the General Conference.

The working and official languages of the Federation shall be English and French.

The Federation may be dissolved at any time by resolution proposed, discussed, and carried in like manner as an amendment of this Constitution. Such resolution may provide for the disposal of the net assets of the Federation after discharging all the liabilities of the Federation either by the transfer of the same to any organization having objects wholly or partly similar to those of the Federation, or by division among the member countries of the Federation, or otherwise. Insofar as not disposed of by such resolution as aforesaid, the said net assets shall be divided among the member countries of the Federation in proportion to their respective subscriptions paid in respect of the last complete financial year of the Federation.

This Constitution shall come into force as from the time of its adoption at the first General Conference of the Federation.