Farmer Organisations – Sept 2012 – Issue 14.3

This issue of LEISA India, brought together experiences of small farmers, individuals and institutions who are empowering farmers by organising them and fostering unity.

Across the globe, agriculture and those dependents on agriculture, especially the small holders and family farmers, face a number of challenges. These challenges range from production challenges like degradation of resources and climate change impacts to access to knowledge and services like inputs, credit and markets. Most often, it is impossible to overcome these challenges, individually.

Interestingly, new forms of innovative organizations and institutional arrangements have emerged to provide a response to the numerous constraints that small producers face. These arrangements are enabling farmers to not only access knowledge and services, but are also emerging as platforms for sharing, learning, strengthening their capacities, thereby empowering farmers to also influence policy makers. Primarily, they are based on the basic principles – ‘Together, we are stronger’; supported by enabling agencies believing in ‘helping those to help themselves’. This issue focuses on showcasing few such experiences which not only offer inspiration but also bountiful learnings.

Editorial – Farmer Organisations

Collective marketing for better incomes

K.D. Andhale , S.M. Wagle

Getting together: Community based fish culture

Rajkumar Pujari

Sustaining shrimp farming

Kumaran. M, Kalaimani. N, Ponnusamy. K, Chandrasekaran V.S. and D. Deboral Vimala

Women, families, communities

Gavin Tinning

Transforming quietly: What India can learn from a grassroots land reform movement in Brazil

Bina Agarwal

We are organised like a pyramid