1. National Roundtable Workshop, Manila, 16 November 2016
Workshop Group 2 Strengthening and empowering rural poor’s organizations
Republic of the Philippines
Country Strategy and Programme Evaluation (CSPE)
National Roundtable Workshop, Manila, 16 November 2016

2. What are roles diverse types of groups play in improving economic opportunities and benefits for the poor and how?
Irrigators Association (NIA): producers, facilitate marketing (if provided by capital and post-harvest facilities)
Cooperatives (Phil Coffee Alliance, CDA, etc.): organizing coffee farmers as entrepreneurs, provide services on inputs, equipment, processing and linking to markets
Development partners (FAO, WB): capacity building (farmers as entrepreneurs, negotiation skills, legal assistance on contracts with private sector). Sustainability of management capacity of farmers organizations.
NGOs (AsiaDHRAA, ICRAF, CIP): Farmers to be connected with each other (scaling up) to become to viable and reach the economies of scale required by private sector. Farmers as collective institutions to engage in business. Farmers as not as project beneficiaries but co-investors. Not only as producers but as entrepreneurs. Linking farmers to market through farmer business school, enterprise development planning.
Government agencies (DAR, DENR): Supporting the organizing and strengthening of farmers organziations. Linking with private sector for technical assistance and marketing.

3. What are their constraints, opportunities and risks?
Lack of capital
Lack of and poor inputs (quality planting materials, nursery) and facilities (post-harvest facilities, processing, infrastructure)
Changing farmers’ mindset from producers to entrepreneurs (need for roadmaps and business plans).
Weak farmers/organizations capacities/skills (management, negotiation)

4. How could they be strengthened to be sustainable
How could they be strengthened to be sustainable? What strategies/approaches can be adopted to support them?
Consolidation and capacity building of farmers into bigger groups (scaling up, irrigators association as agribusiness organizations, small farmers group link to cooperatives)
Capacity building/trainings (entrepreneurship, organizational management, processing, etc.)
Provision of necessary infrastructure, facilities, capital in support to value chain development
Linking farmers to private sector into productive partnerships (technology, financing, management, technical/extension services, business development)
Provision of business tools (i.e. contract, legal services)
Ensure land tenure security of farmers (stabilize land ownership)
Continuous monitoring from enablers (government agencies, private sector)

5. Members:
DAR, CIP, ACCESS advisory, IFAD, ADB, DA, DOF, World Bank, FAO, NEDA, NIA, Landbank,
ASIADHRAA, DBP, CDA, DENR, DAR – Region 9, Phil Coffee Alliance, ICRAF

6. SHARING OF PARTICIPANTS:
National Irrigation Adminisrtation
Sharing of experiences on roles of IA, linking to markets, IFAD how to help
Tasks: Cooperate and maintain the irrigation system
Situation: (1) Farmers does not directly reap on increase productivity because they are tied up with costs of production and costs of living with local capitalist that charged high interest rate. (2) Traders buy low price the rice produce.
IA can do marketing. (articles of incorporation)
How to help: Provide capital from project that will be working capital to buy as a group the rice produce of IA members. Provide post-harvest facilities to IA to value adding the produce (i.e. rice mills).

7. Phil Coffee Alliance
Program: make coffee farmers as enterpreneurs. 62 enterprises.
Agribusiness training – postharvest facility. Value chain approach. Work with government to align policy. Coffee shop business model. Integrated cropping. Climate change. Economic sustainability
Need: Coffee facilities adapted/specific to coffee farmers.. Capitalization. Seedling support to farmers. Source seedlings from communities (support to farmers).
Procurement of equipment. Facilities are not working. Market (Local and international) consolidation. Transport support and equipments.

8. FAO , with DAR experience.
How to train these farmers to be entrepreneurs. Increase competitiveness of farmers. Changing mindset of farmers.
Engagement with private sector, different business perspective. 24/7 availability. Market adaptability of the product.
DTI- RAPID. Good quality of planting materials. Financing. Collective selling. (OMER)

9. ASIADHRAA
2 LEVELS:
Farmers as entrepreneurs
Institutions.
Farmers should not be treated as beneficiaries. Farmers as collective institutions to engage in business.
Need to scale up/out and connect the farmers business of organizations. Not in isolation. Connect with established projects (i.e. MTCP2).
Viable organizations, backing farmers groups.

10. DAR – Region 9
ARB link with private sector/Landbank financing. M&E scheme at province level – to be use pursuant in their workplan. Inspection and monitoring group. Policy support and continuous financial support.
Rice: Facilities. Land collateral, farmers hesitant/constraint. IFAD help in reviewing term.
CDA
Example small holder farmers (coops) into value chain. Address agri-sector. Mechanism to support and sustain/managing their organization and link into approach value chain. Replicate these examples. Scaling up of small community-based organizations in agri sector.

11. DENR
Irrigation facilities to farmers. Consolidate the farmers produce and link with markets
World Bank.
Going beyond production. Challenge – negotiation is tilted against the producers. Private/business men have the knowledge/lawyers. Enhance the negotiation capacity of producers and learn how to look at the contracts. Transformation of production mindset into a value chain perspective which can be detailed into a road map. From basic livelihood to business men.
Farmers know how on contracts/negotiate. Capacity building for farmers.
OMER: IFAD has sample contract formats. Tools are there.
Scaling up , more bargaining powers.
Shared responsibility and values of companies, as opportunity.

12. Phil Coffee Alliance
Coopetition – cooperate and compete. Longer term business
ICRAF
Farmers as partners, not beneficiaries. Participatory processes. Start from what their need and perspectives. Co-investment. Co-owners/investors. Not dole out.
CIP
Linking farmers to markets through farmer business schools, enterprise development plans