Improving Institutional Capacity:
Strengthening Farmer Organizations in the OIC Member Countries
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 In Bahrain, the growth in fisheries, poultry, and egg production over the last decade -
combined with increasing worries about food insecurity – have led the government to
launch the National Initiative for Agricultural Development, which supports agricultural
development at all levels and encourages both greater civil society participation in
agriculture and greater gender inclusivity.
 In Kuwait, the government has adopted several policies to help FOs increase their revenue
and their efficiency, especially regarding water usage. At a recent meeting between the
Kuwaiti Ministry of Agriculture and the head of the Kuwaiti Farmers' Union, the Kuwaiti
minister promised further efforts to support FOs in Kuwait, in light of rising production
costs.
 In Oman, while cooperatives still do not have legal standing, other forms of farmer
organizations – namely Jamyat Tacharoukiyya (participatory associations) and Jamyyat
Ahlyya (family associations) – are encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture. The
government has focused on climate resilience in these efforts, by focusing on sustainable
access to water and protection against natural disasters for FOs.
 The government of Saudi Arabia has announced several policies aimed at the
empowerment of FOs in the kingdom. The most significant is the "Future Plan for
Agriculture" drafted in 2004 with the help of the FAO. This initiative aims to encourage
new organizational dynamics for agricultural associations in order to maximize the
benefits local farmers get from their activities, while also making them more actively
involved in the government's effort to conserve water resources.
This study’s third theme is that, despite not having as many economic resources as other
regions in the OIC, West Africa is home to a number of forward-thinking farmer
organization policies that could potentially be exported across the OIC. Efforts in many
countries in the African Group of the OIC have focused on streamlining and decentralizing the
administration and registration of co-operatives, improving their economic position by
reviewing tax burdens, and increasing support for extension services. Examples here include:
 In Benin, the government passed a new law in 2011 re-organizing the governance of FOs.
This law made the creation and day-to-day administration of FOs simpler, for example by
allowing local registration instead of registration by the central Ministry of Agriculture.
 In Cameroon, the government has instituted tax exemptions for FOs and cooperatives, and
launched the World Bank-funded Agricultural Competitiveness Project to promote the re-
emergence of agriculture as a key sector in Cameroon.
 In Chad, the government from 2010 has exempted agricultural cooperatives from
environmental protection taxes in order to incentivize the creation of organizations (like
FOs) that promote efficient and conscious environmental practices. The government also
launched the Projet d'Entreprenariat Cooperatif (Project for Cooperative
Entrepreneurship) in 2008, which aims to facilitate access to training and funding for FOs,
including access to micro-finance services for rural producers with a particular focus on
women and youth.
 In Cote d'Ivoire the Ministry of Agriculture conducted a study on the economic efficiency
of Ivoirienne FOs, which found that only 9% of FOs were run efficiently. In light of this, the
Ministry of Agriculture pledged to provide extension services for members of FOs to
guarantee sustainability, efficiency, and accountability.
 In Gabon, the government and FAO launched a program that aims to strengthen the
entrepreneurial and commercial capabilities of FOs and agricultural cooperatives. The
Gabonese government also launched the Olam Project, which aims to make Gabon the