Asian Farmers' Association

28/05/2026

"Elsewhere in Asia, farmers are struggling to produce at the same volume and plant for the season ahead, putting the region’s food security in jeopardy.

In the Philippines, fishers can’t afford the diesel to fuel their boats — meaning they’re going out to sea less often or not at all, said Ma Estrella Penunia, secretary-general of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development. And in Bangladesh, boro rice farmers are struggling to grow the crop, said Liakath Ali, director of climate change at BRAC, a global NGO based in the country."

The region is heavily dependent on agricultural inputs that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure means smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable.

07/05/2026

05/05/2026

Curious about how digital tools are shaping agriculture for small-scale farmers? 🌾

Join us this Thursday, May 7 at 3:00 PM for a timely discussion:
“The Digital Agriculture Ecosystem for Small-Scale Producers in LMICs – Looking Back 5 Years”

This webinar brings together experts to reflect on key insights from a dynamic 5-year e-discussion under D4AG. Expect a big-picture look at:
🌍 Different regions and contexts
📊 Use cases and digital solutions
🤝 Perspectives from farmers, policymakers, and innovators

🎤 Featuring Lany Rebagay, Deputy Secretary General of Asian Farmers' Association, alongside other experts in the field. 👥

🔗 Click here to register:** eb2970c0-24f4-46c8-8c6e-5d1867160c9e@27d137e5-761f-4dc1-af88-d26430abb18f" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/eb2970c0-24f4-46c8-8c6e-5d1867160c9e@27d137e5-761f-4dc1-af88-d26430abb18f

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, reflect, and connect!

Meet the Speakers!

Digital agriculture is evolving rapidly, but its impact depends on how global trends translate into local realities.
Join us for a session that takes a systems perspective, connecting insights from global to local contexts and exploring what these shifts mean for policymakers, service providers, and farmers.

🗓 Date: 7 May 2026
⏰ Time: 09:00 – 10:00 CEST
🔗 Register today: eb2970c0-24f4-46c8-8c6e-5d1867160c9e@27d137e5-761f-4dc1-af88-d26430abb18f" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/eb2970c0-24f4-46c8-8c6e-5d1867160c9e@27d137e5-761f-4dc1-af88-d26430abb18f

25/04/2026

In the southern part of West Java, Indonesia, coconut trees stretch across the landscape, bearing fruit all year round. For generations, smallholder farmers have relied on this abundance for their livelihoods. Yet despite the steady supply, income has remained low. Most farmers sell coconuts as raw materials, where prices are dictated by traders and offer little return for their hard work.

“We have plenty of coconuts,” shares Kustiwa Adinata, Executive Director of the Jaringan Masyarakat Tani Indonesia (JAMTANI), “but limited tools and capacity to process them. That’s why farmers often earn less than they should.”

But within this challenge lies opportunity. Coconuts are more than just a raw commodity; they are a source of diverse, high-value products. From coconut oil to oil cake (bungkil), from the traditional delicacy galendo to coconut shell crafts and even packaged coconut-based drinks, each part of the coconut holds potential. Recognizing this, farmers began to reimagine what they could do—not just harvest coconuts, but transform them.

Through collective action, farmer groups—many with strong participation from women—started developing small-scale coconut processing enterprises. These groups learned how to produce coconut oil and other derivatives, adding value to what was once sold cheaply. With innovation and collaboration, coconuts became more than a crop; they became a pathway to better livelihoods.

In 2023, this transformation gained further momentum when the Koperasi Jamtani Pangandaran, a coconut processing cooperative, received USD 20,000 from the APFP-FO4A program to support and expand its coconut processing initiatives. This investment helped improve equipment, strengthen production capacity, and empower more farmers to participate in value-added processing.

The Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program (APFP) – Farmers’ Organizations for Asia (FO4A) is implemented by the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC), with funding from the European Union (EU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The program aims to strengthen the capacities of farmers’ organizations to provide economic services, advocate for enabling policies, and promote sustainable livelihoods for small-scale family farmers across Asia.

For Nanang Paijo, leader of the 'Galendo Si Madu' group, the journey has been transformative. “We’ve been processing coconut oil for about four years now,” he says. “It’s given us a lot of experience—and better income.”

23/04/2026

17/04/2026

16/04/2026

Day 1 of the KITE 2.0 (Knowledge and Learning, Innovations, and Trade Expo), happening from 15-17 April 2026 in City, began with the opening of the Trade Expo, which showcased cooperative products, including fresh produce, dairy, coffee, cacao, fish, and coconut-based products, among others.

The event was attended by the Cebu City mayor and the Cebu province governor, both of whom expressed support for cooperatives as crucial agents in linking local product distribution and advancing local economic growth.

The afternoon of Day 1 was dedicated to plenary and panel discussions:

Plenary Session 1 focused on the state, challenges, and opportunities of agricultural and farmers’ cooperatives in the Philippines. Among the opportunities mentioned were:
✅ Digitalization of agricoops through partners
✅ Access to institutionalized buyers
✅ Logistics solutions with the private sector (for example, Toyota)
✅ Access to local and export markets
✅ Inclusive participation in the F2C2 and Sagip Saka reactivation
✅ Proposed policy and regulatory support for the Agricultural Cooperatives Act of 2025

Panel Session 1 focused on developing and packaging farmers’ products for the institutional market. The Bohol Dairy Cooperative shared that, with support from various government agencies, they were awarded a total of Php 42,373,86.00 in contracts in 2025 to supply dairy products to feeding programs by the Department of Education, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Local Government Units. Meanwhile, Omaganhan Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (OFMPC) shared its experience developing its banana chip enterprise and now buys bananas from its members at a fixed price higher than the price offered by traders.

Panel Session 2 focused on the journey of Baclay Multi-purpose Cooperative as a supplier of the Department of Education’s milk feeding across several provinces. Some of the challenges they experienced include:
✅ The Philippine dairy water buffalo yields an average of 3-5 liters of milk per day.
✅ Lack of forage production and feeding management at the farmers’ level.
✅ Limited working capital results in the absence of proper dairy equipment and facilities for dairy farmers.

KITE 2.0 is co-organized by the Philippine Family Farmers Agriculture Fishery Forestry Cooperative Federation (AgriCOOPh), together with Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Agriculture - Philippines, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative, Natcco, MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center, and Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives, Inc. (PCCI).

Photos by AgriCOOPh Federation

14/04/2026

नव वर्षको शुभकामना! Nava Varsha ko Subhakamana! ✨ 🌸 Warm greetings to you and your loved ones on the joyous occasion of Nepali New Year! May this New Year bring new hopes, happiness, and prosperity into your life. ❤️

14/04/2026

புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்! 🎉 Puthandu Vazthukal to our friends in , , and other parts of the world! ✨🌼 Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful and prosperous ! May this New Year bring new hopes, fresh beginnings, and abundant blessings. 💛