Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP)/Support to Farmers Organisations for Asia (FO4A)

The Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP)/Support to Farmers Organisations for Asia (FO4A) is a platform that brings together farmers' organizations, cooperatives, and other stakeholders which is dedicated to creating a supportive environment that helps reduce rural poverty. It serves as a space for dialogue, collaboration, and advocacy to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, rural producers, and their communities. By empowering smallholder farmers and their organizations across the Asia-Pacific region, the program focuses on providing practical assistance to strengthen their capacity and improve their livelihoods, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving livelihoods, and strengthening the capacity of farmers' organizations to engage in policy discussions and market opportunities.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that, by the end of the program, farmers' organizations (FOs) are equipped with the skills and resources needed to deliver sustainable, demand-driven services—both business and technical—to their members. Additionally, the program aims to enable these organizations to actively participate in policy discussions, advocating for changes that enhance the incomes and well-being of smallholder farmers and producers in the region. Through this, the program seeks to foster long-term growth and prosperity for rural communities. By uniting the voices of farmers across the region, the forum strives to create a more inclusive and enabling environment for rural communities to thrive.

Under this framework, NACCFL as National Implementing Agency (NIA) had been implementing the project in Nepal since 2020 whose major objectives are: 

• To support the Farmers' organizations in preparing the fundable business plan. Till now, this project had financially supported 16 agri businesses led by the member cooperatives focusing on commodities such as: tea, milk, rice, oil and seed. 
• Increase the income generation of the target farmers through the implementation of the business plans.
• Support to create an economically friendly market for both, producers and consumers 
• Ensure market availability for fresh, local produces at appropriate price to farmers/ FOs and reasonable price to consumers.
• Increase income and improve livelihood, food and nutrition security and safety of benefitted smallholders and family farmers in the target areas.

Photo credit: Women’s SFACL, Kathar, Chitwan