147th Session of the IFAP Executive Committee

Mexico City, 26-27 October 2006

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

on the Strategic Plan and Work program

 

The first meeting of the new IFAP Executive Committee, following the elections in Seoul at the World Farmers’ Congress in May 2006, took place in Mexico City, 25-27 October 2006, chaired by IFAP President Jack Wilkinson, and hosted by the Confederación Nacional Campesina.

 

Strategic Plan

The Committee discussed a new Strategic Plan for IFAP for 2007-2010, and work program priorities for 2006-2008. Members agreed that the main strength of IFAP is its large network of national farmers’ organisation members from throughout the world, as well as its international recognition as an effective body through which to engage farmer leaders on global issues. The Executive Committee stressed that the main objective of IFAP was “international farmer dialogue for policy-making and advocacy”.

 

Under the new Strategic plan, IFAP would move from an issues-driven agenda towards a strategic planning process that would prioritize, rationalize and manage a few key selected issues upon which IFAP should stay focused. Priority would be given to horizontal issues that are of concern to all members. The policy discussions of IFAP’s specialised committees and commodity groups would be better integrated into the mainstream activities of the Federation. Communications and liaison with member organisations on global events and policy priorities would be strengthened.

Policy priorities

The Executive Committee decided that IFAP’s work program over the next two years should focus on:

 

1.Trade negotiations and agricultural policy reform

  • Conclusion of the Doha Round: press for a result to benefit farmers.
  • Special products and Special safeguard mechanism: develop IFAP proposals.
  • Commodities management: examine mechanisms to respond to price volatility in international tropical commodity markets.
  • Technical assistance and capacity building including Aid for Trade: address the issues of supply-side constraints; ensure that “Aid for Trade” benefits farmers.  

 

2. Strengthening the place of the farmer in the food chain

  • Develop case studies on successful experiences of empowering farmers in the market
  • Bring together analyses and experiences from member organisations on:
    -     Reducing the cost structure of agriculture, including the cost to farmers of implementing government regulations
    -     The impact of currency exchange rates on agricultural trade flows
  • Awareness-raising on farmers’ income problems: hold an awareness-raising meeting in Washington D.C. in March 2007, hosted by National Farmers Union, on farmers’ income problems in the global agri-food sector.

 

3. Environment and natural resources

  • Climate change - develop case studies on mitigation and adaptation. Develop recommendations on Climate change and bio-energy to be submitted to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
  • Water - ensure involvement of farmers’ organisations in the Challenge Program for Water and Food
  • Biodiversity – strengthen relations with the UNCBD for the writing of their program on agriculture.  Access to genetic resources should be considered.

Develop a partnership with Ecoagriculture Partners on eco-agriculture. 

  • Bio-energy - develop a new IFAP policy paper based on the draft presented. The focus would be on ago-energy, wind and solar energy. Develop case studies.

 

4. Human health, animal health

  • Update IFAP’s policy paper “Food safety and quality”
  • Develop a new policy paper on “Animal welfare”
  • Strengthen the IFAP network of technical experts from member organisations on human and animal health issues. Include practical farmers in IFAP delegations.

5. Research

  • Update the IFAP publication on “Relationships between farmers’ organisations, extension services and research centres
  • Lobby for more farmer representation on research institutes and networks, and for including extension work in research budgets

6. Rural poverty and hunger

  • Contribution to the ILO program to eliminate hazardous child labour
  • Update IFAP’s policy paper on “Land Issues and Property Rights” stressing access to land and use of land
  • Draft a background paper on “Rights-based approaches to development

7. The 10 principles of the World Farmers’ Charter

  • Follow up with the UN

 

8. Recognition of women’s contribution in agriculture

  • Lobby for more involvement of women farmers in decision-making roles
  • Lobby donors to support women’s participation

9. Facilitating the entry of young people into agriculture

  • Hold the 2nd IFAP World Congress of Young Farmers in Buenos Aires, Argentina in July 2007

 

Development cooperation

The Executive Committee adopted new terms of reference for the IFAP’s Development Cooperation Committee (DCC) to ensure more coherence between IFAP’s lobbying work and the capacity-building programs of AgriCord. The role of the DCC is to give strategic direction to the operational work of AgriCord in the field.

 

Joint session with the Continental Conference of Latin American farmers

This event in Mexico also provided the occasion to bring IFAP together with the new Continental Conference of small farmers from Latin America that was also being hosted in Mexico City by CNC. In total the two groups represented 78 farmers’ organisations from 53 countries from 5 continents. Joint discussions were held on: the WTO negotiations, cooperation and complementarities among farmers’ organisations, and migration of farm workers.

 

Next session

The next session of IFAP’s Executive Committee will take place 23-26 April 2007 in Vienna, Austria at the kind invitation of the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture and Forestry.