Investing in rural producer organizations for sustainable agriculture
Collion, Marie-Helene | Rondot, Pierre
Rural producer organizations (RPOs) assume many forms that have varying purposes, and functions at different levels, be it local, regional or national. While there is no specific framework to support RPOs, one principle prevails however: support should be to empower RPOs, not to make them the instruments of donor or government agenda, neither as substitutes for deficient public service. Rather, support to RPOs should: guarantee equal access to any RPO that meets the criteria for funding; guarantee independence from government, or donor agencies; ensure that supported RPOs are membership organizations, legally registered; design capacity building as a "learning-by-doing" process; and, accept limitations of RPOs, working with them, and at their pace. Nonetheless, inherent risks in working with RPOs, have to do with exclusion, potential elite capture, sociopolitical resistances, and possible misuse of funds. But the comparative advantage the Bank has in supporting RPOs, can be enhanced by: ensuring that RPOs are seen as full-fledged partners of governments, donors, and public as well as private services; promoting a conducive legal and political environment; promoting effective decentralization to allow grassroots organizations to access public funding; and, strengthening their capacities to face competitiveness.
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