The Regional Farmers’ Forum for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Farmers are not merely beneficiaries of development. They are vital partners in shaping agricultural transformation, strengthening food systems and building resilient rural economies.

Opening the Regional Farmers’ Forum for Eastern and Southern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, EAFF President Elizabeth Nsimadala Kwagala called for stronger and more meaningful participation of farmers in the decisions that shape agriculture and rural development. She emphasised that farmers’ organisations must be recognised as strategic development partners, with a stronger voice in policy processes, programme design, implementation and evaluation.

Organised by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through its Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Regional Division, the Regional Farmers’ Forum brought together rural producers, farmers’ organisations and IFAD representatives to review progress in their partnership, exchange experiences and identify practical ways of strengthening collaboration towards inclusive rural transformation.

IFAD East and Southern Africa Regional Director, Sara Mbago-Bhunu, underscored the critical role of farmers’ organisations in driving rural transformation and ensuring that rural communities remain at the centre of development efforts. She highlighted the importance of meaningful dialogue that listens to farmers, draws on their experiences and translates their priorities into practical strategies that strengthen rural communities and unlock opportunities for inclusive development.

Held in Nairobi on 28–29 September 2026, the Forum addressed key priorities affecting farmers across the region, including strengthening farmers’ organisations, improving access to finance and agricultural inputs, promoting climate adaptation, building resilient value chains, expanding market access and creating greater opportunities for women and young people.

Beyond dialogue and experience-sharing, the Forum focused on translating shared priorities into concrete commitments and a roadmap for future cooperation between IFAD and farmers’ organisations.

The discussions culminated in five joint priority actions designed to strengthen farmers’ organisations as sustainable development partners and enhance their capacity to deliver demand-driven services to their members.

The five agreed priority actions

1. Institutionalising Engagement

Establish structured and meaningful participation of farmers’ organisations throughout IFAD’s programme cycle, from country strategy development and project design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. This will ensure that farmers’ voices and priorities inform development interventions at every stage.

2. Building Sustainable Partnerships

Strengthen the capacity of farmers’ organisations to deliver demand-driven services while expanding their access to finance, markets and investment opportunities. Sustainable partnerships will enable these organisations to become stronger, more effective and financially resilient institutions.

3. Strengthening Institutional Readiness

Improve the financial management, procurement, fiduciary systems and operational capacity of farmers’ organisations, enhancing their ability to access and manage development resources effectively and accountably.

4. Leveraging Investment Synergies

Connect IFAD’s Programme of Loans and Grants with complementary initiatives, including the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and FO4IMPACT, to expand financing opportunities, stimulate innovation and strengthen service delivery to farmers.

5. Promoting Regional Learning

Facilitate peer-to-peer learning, South-South cooperation and knowledge exchange among farmers’ organisations to document, share and scale successful farmer-led solutions across the region.

From commitments to action

These five commitments represent an important step towards redefining the relationship between IFAD and farmers’ organisations. At their core is a shared recognition that sustainable agricultural transformation cannot be achieved without strong, capable and adequately resourced farmers’ organisations.

By institutionalising farmer engagement, strengthening organisational capacity, improving access to investment and promoting regional knowledge exchange, the partnership seeks to position farmers’ organisations as sustainable partners in development rather than merely beneficiaries of development programmes.

Ultimately, the success of these commitments will be measured not only by the agreements reached in Nairobi but by their implementation and the tangible improvements they deliver for farmers, their organisations and rural communities across Eastern and Southern Africa.