Improving Institutional Capacity:
Strengthening Farmer Organizations in the OIC Member Countries
7
1. Definition and Situational Overview of Farmer Organizations:
Conceptual Framework
1.1. Background and Definition of Farmer Organizations
Farmer organizations, as defined by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO), are formal or informal (registered or unregistered), membership-based, collective-
action institutions that serve rural members whose livelihoods derive in part or wholly from
agriculture (i.e., crops, livestock, fisheries and/or other rural activities). FOs aim to improve
the livelihoods of members by providing them with advice, information, and inputs,
introducing them to markets, and advocating policies in their interest.8 FOs have received
significant attention from the development community, due to their unique, dual role as a
conduit for publicly provided extension services and as a collective voice for smallholder
farmers. As llustrates, FOs provide several broad categories of services to their
members, which in turn have multiple important outcomes for farmers and the broader
agricultural economy. When FOs are strong, these outcomes lead farmers to increase their
income and to improve their livelihoods for farmers in the long run.
Smallholder farmers in the developing world face significant challenges to increase their
productivity and incomes. In member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC), these challenges are similar to those in other regions. Farmers struggle with
inappropriately packaged or inaccessible financial services and the inability to access regional
and international markets with high returns. In addition, they have difficulty accessing inputs,
price information, and post-harvest storage facilities for their output. Studies have shown that
farmer organizations (FOs) can help solve many of these issues and provide benefits to
smallholder farmers by increasing crop yields and income.9
8 FAO, Farmer Organizations in Bangladesh: A mapping and capacity assessment, 2014
9 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ‘Serving farmers’ interests in a creative and effective way: Reader with success stories
in African Farmers Organizations. Advisors for African Farmer Organizations, 2008 p.4.