Q2. What and how can CSOs contribute to such transformation to boost impact on the ground?
In northern nigeria sub-sahara west africa where agriculture system is smalholder driven, farmers cooperatives need to comply to good agricultural practices (GAP), good agronomic practices, food safety standards and best practice cooperative good governance so as to enhance sustainable food systems transformation, improved food security and job creation for the youths...men and women. To achieve these elements, capacity building (knowledge and skill, good cooperative governance, organization procedures and equipment for administration and value addition to farm produce) is required to upgrade the farmers cooperatives to make them suitable agribusiness partners with external investors, academic, finance and research institutes, commodity exchange markets and ppp venture with government atleast if only for collective tax revenue to the government other benefits aside.
To set the ball rolling, starter catalyst funding is required to activate resident consultant to work with the farmers and set up best practice cooperative governance and commercialization processes that will eventually drive internal capitalization (InCap) from the members to fund subsequent needed capacity building in collaboration with appropriate agencies.
All food, local raw material and export farm produce should have a regional or state pilot envisioned model cooperative for scaling up vertically and horizontally across local government areas. Concept note applicable to the areas under focus (over 100 million smallholder farmers) can be available to demand.
Thank you
M. Rabiu Auwalu Yakasai