Brief Background of the Workshop

This training workshop is the third in a series of workshops that established the importance, for small farmholders, of engaging the markets and of complying with market requirements in food safety and product quality. It has been established that directly linking with markets is the way to go in ensuring a better income for small farmholders, and in acquiring for them expanded opportunities and prospects for the comprehensive and sustainable development of their farms. The constraints of their participating competitively in the market are serious but experiences in developed countries in Asia have shown that these can be overcome when small farmholders are able to consolidate their products in linking with the markets. Consolidation and organizing will also enable them comply with the generally costly requirements of food safety and product quality.

This third training workshop aims to generate a deeper understanding of LSFM by looking into the potentials of commodity-based associations of small producers for achieving economies of scale and in getting a stronger bargaining strength in the market. In particular, this training workshop envisions to catalyze the stage of forming structures and mechanisms that will facilitate the productive, successful and sustainable engagement of small farmers with markets.

LSFM is implemented by AsiaDHRRA in partnership with the Center for Study for the Development of Agriculture in Cambodia (CEDAC), the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA), the Viet Nam Farmers Union (VNFU), and Bina Desa/InDHRRA to implement the project in four pilot countries, namely: Cambodia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.