Improving Institutional Capacity:
Strengthening Farmer Organizations in the OIC Member Countries
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o Legal: FOs need to strengthen their understanding of relevant contract and business
law. There is also a need to provide legal support at FO inception to ensure all
members are aware of the statutes and legislation that govern their activities
o Financial: FOs in many contexts require assistance with financial management
practices and procedures for non-profit organizations and co-operatives. In addition,
FOs require assistance with basic accounting and bookkeeping, systems design, and
technology training.
o Human Capital: FOs often lack capabilities in human resource planning, leadership
development, entrepreneurship, gender responsiveness training and general human
capital management.
 Policy capacities
o Advocacy: FOs need to build their ability to capture primary and empirically based
farmer insights and to act as a champion for smallholder perspectives and preferences
in policy-making processes.
Interventions that address the environmental and operational challenges described above will
position FOs in OIC member countries to improve their farmers’ productivity and income
effectively and significantly.