ESFIM resources will be used and articulated to ongoing initiatives in the realm of agricultural policy development and dialogue of FUPRO (NFO) and PNOPPA (national farmers’ platform).

In 2009, the ESFIM workshop identified three priority themes for empowering smallholder farmers in markets: (i) value addition through improving storage and conservation of agricultural products, (ii) improving commercial relations between producers and buyers of agricultural products, and (iii) government interventions in cross-border trade in a context of high price volatility.

Workshop participants defined three major roles for action research: establishing empirical base (credibility), identification and development of options (proposition capacity) and analysis of effects of different options of policy development and development programs. These roles contribute to the credibility and proposition capacity of farmers’ organizations, thus strengthening their claim-making and agenda-setting capacities.

A new development is that ESFIM research activities are likely to twinned to other action research activities FUPRO will conduct in collaboration with two of its partners (SNV and Agriterra). These activities concentrate cereal crop value chains and on strategies to promote commodity-oriented farmer groups in a bottom-up manner. The joint FUPRO-Agrinatura-SNV-Agriterra action research program will focus on levers for pro-poor reconfiguration of cereal crop value chains (especially maize). The three thematic ESFIM priorities remain valid but will be focusing on cereal crops, especially maize. The contribution of Agrinatura to the joint program concerns research planning, connecting FUPRO and other farmers’ organizations with local research expertise, building FO-research interfaces, elaborating research protocols and ToRs, coaching and supporting local researchers, as well as filling capacity gaps with outside expertise. Combination of action research efforts will not only better focus the ESFIM research activities, but also significantly enhance available human and financial resources, thus contributing to the quality of the research work and policy proposals.

Currently research work has started on two topics: (1) analysis of rules and regulations regarding cross-border trade and analysis of the consequences on food security and farmers’ income of the border closing that incurred in 2008 as a response to rising food prices and (2) possibilities of organized cashew nut producers to directly engage with processing units and export firms. These topics relate to the 2^nd and 3^rd thematic priorities mentioned above. The research work is conducted by a locally contracted specialist, on the basis of AFD-AFDI funding.

ESFIM, in collaboration with SNV and Agriterra, will strengthen PNOPPA’s and FUPRO’s capacity to strategically participate in policy dialogue. Lobby and advocacy trajectories will result in written briefs on priority policy issues and proposals for farmer-led value chain development activities. In addition to Government, the target groups of FUPRO and PNOPPA policy work will also consist of donor agencies, international organizations like WFP and private enterprises. Using evidence in policy proposals, sound communication strategies and intensifying collaboration of FO’s and researchers are priorities.