PAFO, the only continental scale Farmers’ platform in the world, is the voice of over eighty million Family African Farmers, integrated into over 70 national organizations, unions, federations, cooperatives, associations, etc., united in five regional networks operating at the heart of African agriculture. The five networks are: Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), Plateforme Régionale des Organisations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC), Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA), Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU), Union Maghrébine et Nord-Africaine des Agriculteurs (UMNAGRI).
PAFO and its Member networks work together on issues of continental interest that have a significant impact on African agriculture. PAFO brings together the peasants of the Continent around common needs, themes and challenges which unite them all and include access to land, financing, local, regional and continental trade, public investments in family farming, capacity building of farmers and their organizations, as well as the cross-cutting issues around climate change, the empowerment of rural women and young people, in addition to the current main challenge of 2020 – the Covid-19.
The creation of PAFO was very important for advocacy and for making the voices of farmers heard at continental and international levels. But again, PAFO makes it possible to facilitate knowledge management, experience capitalization and sharing on the enhancement of the achievements of farmers and their organizations among others, a mission that PAFO has been carrying out for the last 10 years (2010-2020). 10 years in the service of defending the interests of peasants, breeders, forest managers and fisher folks… PAFO this year is therefore celebrating its 10th anniversary of this wonderful service to African farmers.
PAFO, with the support of its financial and technical partners, will continue to ensure its commitments and mission towards African farmers with our main objective being to make the voice of African Farmers and agricultural producers heard, to promote their involvement in the formulation and implementation of development policies that affect agriculture and rural development at the continental level. Our ambition is to transform the agricultural sector in Africa into sustainable food systems that focuses on food security and sovereignty.
Kolyang Palebele
President of PAFO