WEBINAR: Smallholder producers and farmers managing risks

9-11 June 2020. WEBINAR: Smallholder producers and farmers managing risks

In the face of COVID-19 smallholder farmers and forest producers face the challenge of how to balance between short term shocks and longer-term risks such as climate change. One of the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis is the disruption of agricultural and forestry supply chains and a re-shuffling of actors. 

These critical issues were discussed in an international web-conference. The event was hosted by Food and Forest Development Finland (FFD), AgriCord and the Forest and Farm Facility (a partnership between FAO, IIED, IUCN and AgriCord) in collaboration with the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) and the Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO). 

The conference included a series of web-seminars with pre-recorded and live interactive sessions. The goals of the seminar were: 

• To gain understanding of FFPO responses and strategies (locally, nationally, regionally) in demonstrating greater resilience, with specific focus on climate change and Covid-19 responses. 
• To exchange approaches and insights with key actors around risk reduction strategies, increase awareness of FFPO resilience, and share best practices for improved resilience. 
• To establish priorities in building resilience of smallholder producers, supply-chains and food systems, and in connecting forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs) with related processes, initiatives and institutions.

Welcoming words 

• Jeffrey Campbell, Manager, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility 
• Juha Marƫla, President, Food and Forest Development Finland/MTK 
• Arianna Giuliodori, Secretary General, World Farmers’ Organisation 

Managing risks and maintaining functionality of the smallholder production systems at times of crisis 

• Summary of AgriCord and FAO-FFF findings on smallholder resilience Duncan Macqueen, Principal researcher and leader, IIED/Forest and Farm Facility 

Farmers and forest producers organisations’ (FFPOs) mitgatng risks and building resilience. 

• Synthesis of responses and policy recommendations gathered from regional (Africa, Asia, Latin America) FFPO consultaions Esther Penunia, Secretary General, Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) 

Comment speech (pre-recorded) Satu Santala, Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Department for Development Policy 

Panel discussion 1: International responses to support resilience in short- and long-term shocks and stresses - how to engage farmers and their organizations? 

• Arif Husain, Chief Economist, WFP 
• Hannelore Beerlandt, CEO, AgriCord 
• Adriano Campolina, Senior Policy Officer, FAO 
• Elizabeth Nsimadala, President, PAFO 
• Paul Winters, Strategy and Knowledge Department, IFAD 
• Carla Montesi, Director/Planet and Prosperity, EU Devco 
  Carla Montesi is currently Director at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Development and Cooperation. She has been responsible for the Directorate “Planet and Prosperity” since September 2018. Before that (2014-2018) she was Director for Western and Central Africa.
• Moderator: Jeffrey Campbell, Manager, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility 

Panel Discussion 2: (pre-recorded) Covid-19 affecing forest producers and forest value-chains in Africa, Asia and Europe 

• Ellen Alfsen, Norwegian Forest Owners’ Federation 
• Satu-Marja Tenhiälä, MTK Finland
• Charles Nyanjui, Farm forestry smallholders producers association of Kenya 
• Jog Raj Giri, Association of Family Forest Owners, Nepal 
• Moderator: Anƫ Sahi, Chair, International Family Forestry Alliance 

Comment speech (pre-recorded) Petri Sarvamaa, MEP, Rapporteur on the European Parliament´s Own-Initiave Report on the new EU Forest Strategy 

Case study from Vietnam: (pre-recorded) Presentations on national policy framework and farmers organizations: Supporing resilience of farmers and forest producers in Viet Nam 

• Dr. Tran Lam Dong, Vietnam Academy of Forest Science 
• Dr. Le Van Binh, VN Forest - Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development 
• Vu Le Y Voan, Vietnam Farmer’s Union 
• Ngo Sỹ Hoai, Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association 
• Dr. Pham Thi Hong Yen, VCA's International Cooperation Department 
• Moderators: Hoang Van Long, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, Chi Bui, (FFD) 

Conclusions 

• Tiina Huvio, Programme Director, Food and Forest Development Finland 
• Jeffrey Campbell, Manager, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility

Upcoming event:

3 July 2020. COVID-19: Resisting Now to Build Back Better

Organised by the World Farmers Organisation (WFO) with Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA) and AgrarKontakte International (AKI), this webinar will shine a light on farmers’ adaptability and ability to innovate, organise, share and support each other at the time of coronavirus.

Past events

Videos of the first two conference days are found below:
International web consultation 9 June 2020

• Welcoming words Jeffrey Campbell, Manager, Forest and Farm Facility, FAO 
• Juha Marttila, President, Food and Forest Development Finland/MTK 
• Objectives and programme of the conference Tiina Huvio, Programme Director, Food and Forest Development Finland 
• Keynote speeches Esther Penunia, Secretary General, Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) 
• Fatma Ben Rejeb, CEO, Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO) 
• Introduction to resilience (pre-recorded) Prof. Markku Kanninen, Director of the Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI) 
• Short speeches from FFPOs Burundi, Nepal, Tanzania, Viet Nam 
• 3 parallel sessions: Asia (English), Africa (English, French) Country and regional level findings from FFPO resilience consultations Formulation of policy positions and recommendations on climate change and covid-19 
• Conclusions Hannelore Beerlandt, CEO, AgriCord

International technical workshop 10 June 2020

• Welcoming words Kati Partanen, Chair, WFO women’s committee Stefaan Bonte, Strategic Partnership Facilitator, AgriCord 
• Strength in diversity: a mosaic of services, culture and products contributing to resilience (pre-recorded) Anna Bolin, Senior Researcher, IIED/Forest and Farm Facility 
• Resilience case studies from FFPOs Kenya, Philippines, Togo, Zambia 
• Review of FAO-FFF Phase II papers on resilience Svea Senesie, Forestry Officer, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility 

Technical workshop: Presentation of 2 tools: AgriCord Building Resilience Toolkit 

FOs assessing climate risks and designing adaptation 

• Noora Simola, Climate and Forest Expert, Food and Forest Development Finland FAO-FFF: Access to Climate Finance 
• Prof. John Kerr, Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University 
• Jose Díaz Díaz, Forest Producer Organizations Officer, FAO 

Concepts and elements of resilience from FFPO perspective

Open discussion, including questions and answers on resilience case studies and tools 

• Facilitators: Sophie Grouwels, Forestry Officer, FAO/Forest and Farm Facility 
• Pauline Buffle, Programme Officer, Global Forest and Climate Change Programme, IUCN/ Forest and Farm Facility 
• Conclusions Duncan Macqueen, Principal researcher and leader, IIED/Forest and Farm Facility

Conference in social media

• See most recent updates on the conference facebook page and twitter.
• #multidimensionalresilience