WINFA takes part in international forum

15.FEB.08

WINFA Coordinator Renwick Rose is among more than 70 leaders from farmers organizations from around the globe participating in two important meetings in Rome this week. On Monday and Thursday, February 11-12, the farmer leaders will attend the Second Global Meeting of the FARMERS FORUM.{{more}}

This meeting is being sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and brings together representatives of farmers’ organizations and international agricultural organizations such as IFAD, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

It will be followed by a meeting of IFAD’s General Council (Feb. 13-14) to which the farmers’ organizations have been invited.

The Farmers’ Forum was first held in February 2006 and is a tripartite process involving farmers and rural producers’ organizations, governments and IFAD.

DAY 1 is expected to focus on assessing progress in the ongoing dialogue and cooperation between IFAD and the producer organizations and future direction for continued collaboration, whilst the second day will be devoted to critical challenges for small holder farmers.

Last week, Rose, along with the Manager of WINFA’s Fair trade Unit, Arthur Bobb, visited three European cities, London, Geneva and Lyon in France for discussions related to trade and fair trade issues. In Geneva, these centered on preparations for a banana Multi-Stakeholder Forum to be held in conjunction with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Agricultural Development (UNCTAD). The visits to Lyon and London were focused on matters relating to Fairtrade and the future of banana fair-trade exports from the Windward Islands.

Mr. Bobb also attended a European Fairtrade fair held in Lyon where he was one of a number of invited international speakers.