SESSION 1: Sharing of Experience with GAFSP Processes (15 minutes to share, 15 minutes for open forum) Lessons Learned from Farmers’ Involvement in GAFSP Processes Phnom Penh, Cambodia | November 8-11, 2012

A. Brief profile of GAFSP project in the country Bangladesh Proposal for GAFSP funding: Integrated Agriculture Productivity Project (IAPP) for Agro-Ecologically Constrained and Economically Depressed Areas Approved by GAFSP Steering Committee, June 2010 Project Amount : $50M dollars from GAFSP, $17,5M from GOB Timeframe : 5 years

1. Title Strengthening Kendrio Krishok Moitree (KKM) for Enhancing Solidarity among Farmer Associations in Bangladesh

2. Area/Location The project is located in two selected districts of Bangladesh namely Kurigram and Patuakhali

3. Stakeholders Two districts representing 06 union based farmers’ alliance of KKM: 180 village based farmer organizations, their members. FOs – guided by local/national NGOs, and agriculture/rural development authority of the government. Civil Society Organizations and FAO

4. Starting Date and Duration Five months project (August to December, 2012)

5. Objectives To initiate a broad-based platform through KKM for addressing food and nutrition security issues of small-holder farmers in Bangladesh

6. Strategy/Approach ActionAid HRBA approach was followed during project planning and implementation. The main pillar AA HRBA are : Empowerment; Solidarity and Campaign

7. Components Mapping/Scoping of Farmer Organizations Learning-Sharing Workshop Capacity Building of KKM and other farmer organizations on leadership, OD and Network Initiative for broad based regional platform of the KKM and allied farmer groups

B. Experience with the instrument, process and modalities of FO partnership with government on public resources Not yet done but we can endeavor/try to initiate or pilot since now we have our broad based FO like KKM and newly formed FOs platform lead by KKM

1. Context The FOs broad based platform under this project has just initiated so yet they have no scope to build partnership with government.

2. Problems/Issues Yet there was no plan of government for partnership with FOs in govt. circulated plans

3. Initiatives Capacity building activities has been taken for the FOs leaders for ensuring their rights from Government and Institutional services. Strategies has introduced in line of AA HRBA for FOs capacity building and to bargain with the respective parties on food security related project planning and implementation.

4. Results Initiated broad based platform of FOs Action plan has formulated by the FOs leaders to strengthen their organizational management capacity, leadership development and networking The trained leaders have started to disseminate their training knowledge among their respective group members following their action plans to strengthen their organizations

5. Facilitating factors in effective partnerships with government and effective access to its resources Open information flow Participatory planning based on farmers need Need to consider during planning for FOs: Farmer’s crisis, dependency and deprivation factors

6. Hindering factors in effective partnerships with government and effective access to its resources Donor driven planning Inaccessibility/insufficiency of govt planning information’s to the grassroots farmers Government bureaucracy Political influence