Improving Institutional Capacity:
Strengthening Farmer Organizations in the OIC Member Countries
46
However, ten years later, the reality is quite different. The CCPA has yet to receive financial or
technical support from the government other than subsidies on groundnut seeds, which are
extensive. At times, the government subsidizes the CCPA’s whole programme of certified seed.
Beyond the umbrella of LOASP and the 1983 co-operative law (Law 83-07), which permits FOs
and other co-ops to register, Senegal lacks any FO-specific policy. A policy document for
revitalizing agricultural co-operatives was issued in 2007-08, in partnership with producers
and other stakeholders but was never formalized.69 In spite of this, the country has publicly
committed to international co-operative policy, for instance, ratifying the Uniform Act on co-
operatives put forward by the Organization for the Harmonization Business Law in Africa
(OHADA) in 201070.
The country also lacks government structures specifically responsible for the oversight of
farmer organizations. While its Office of Monitoring of Self-Promotion Organizations (BSOAP)
does work with FOs, its mandate encompasses co-operatives across all sectors, to whom it
provides structuring support, skills training, topical coaching, litigation support, and
development planning.
3.2.3. Conclusion and Lessons learned
The CCPA is a well-organized and growing farmers’ organization, and its key success factors
are:
 Strong communication infrastructure
 A diversified funding model
 Clear governance structure
However, the government’s limited support of the CCPA inhibits its ability to support its
members in terms of providing inputs, commercializing the circuit, and advocating prices. The
lack of a specifically FO-oriented policy also constrains the CCPA’s further development. Thus,
one lesson to be learned is the importance of ensuring government resources are directed to
farmer organizations, especially in the form of inputs and technical training. Given FOs’ close
link to their members, government investment in agricultural extension can be very powerful
if coordinated with FOs.
3.3. Morocco: Tighanimine Filahia Argan Oil Co-operative
From Morocco, a smaller, women-only co-operative highlights the role of women’s farmer
organizations in the OIC. The Tighanimine co-operative is a village-level organization focused
on the production of argan oil, a very high-value specialty oil used both for food (where it sells
at a premium even relative to fine olive oil) and in cosmetics. A brief summary of Tighanimine
is below, followed by an analysis of its performance on key dimensions.
69 From 1947 to 1981, Senegal try many kind of cooperative’s structures and governance but they all failed because of bad
management, political distortions, etc. )
70 Interview with BSOAP