Forest and Farm Facility Support to the Gambia

Forest and Farm Facility support to The Gambia

Report on:

National Validation Workshop on Results of Baseline Study on Forest and Farm Producer Groups in The Gambia held on the 27th August 2013 at Sanyang Nature Camp

Prioritization Workshop on the Needs of Forest and Farm Producer Groups in The Gambia held on the 28th August 2013 at Sanyang Nature Camp

National Validation Workshop on In- Country Baseline Study for the Implementation of Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and Prioritization of the Needs of Forest and Farm Producer Groups in The Gambia

Sanyang Nature Camp Conference Hall

Tuesday 27th & 28th August 2013

Part 1: Baseline Study Validation

1.  Introduction

Two days National Validation and Prioritization Workshop was held at the Sanyang Nature Camp, from 27th to 28th August 2013. The purpose of the workshop was to review and validate a draft Baseline study report for implementation of FFF and to engage Representatives of Forest and Farm Producer Groups and their Associations on prioritization of their Needs. The Baseline study was conducted to provide a snapshot of what is the current status (including needs and priorities) of forest and farm producer organisations and Government structures with respect to FFF mission and main outputs

Thirty participants attended the validation workshop while twenty Representatives of Forest and Farm Producer Groups and their Associations attended the second workshop. The first workshop comprised: seventeen delegates from selected Government and Non-Governmental Organizations that have extensive experience in implementing Forest and Farm support activities; one University Head of Department; ten representatives of producer groups and one representative from media were in attendance. The second workshop was attended by two District Chiefs and eighteen representatives of product based groups and associations. (See participant lists in Annex 3 and 4 respectively)

2.  Agenda

The Agenda together with programme is given in Annex 1 and 2

3.  Opening Session

Doctor Ebrima Njie facilitator of the sessions welcomed all participants and gave an introductory background to the workshop. Following this, participants introduced themselves. The Director of NACO who doubles as the FFF facilitator welcomed the participants for attending this important workshop. He also confirmed what had been said by the Facilitator of the workshop, he thanked all those who on one way or the other contributed to the development of the study. He presented the guiding principles of the assignment and the main outputs of the Baseline study to participants. These among others were the main areas discussed in the workshop.

Mr Malang Jatta Senior Policy Analysist, Office of The President, officially opened the workshop. In his statement, Mr. Jatta welcomed and thanked the participants and their respective heads of institutions for finding time to participate in the workshop. He recalled that the study had two components: analysis of existing information and verification of data on the ground; the latter one was done through meetings with national and sub national institutions (Government, platforms/ongoing initiatives and programmes (including donor funded relevant projects). The successful implementation of FFF calls for cross-sectoral coordination and the adoption of governance systems that ensure the involvement of local communities in the management of Forest and Farm resources as well as participate on policy dialogue. He mentioned that, the objectives of “Triple F” are in line with the development agenda of Government.

In his keynote address Mr. Alagie Basse Mboge National President of the Farmer’s Platform emphasized the need for Government to continue demonstrating willingness to empower local communities in the area of Forest and Farm resources management, ensuring tenure security and access to market potentials for the products they produce through the provision of support and services needed for their development. To this end, he urged participants to critically examine the various findings of the survey that will be most beneficial to the attainment of FFF scope in the country.

4.  General Overview of the Baseline Study Results

Mr. Kanimang Camara, Director NACO GAMBIA, presented a general overview of the evolution of the study, giving the various approaches and methodologies applied in collecting data. He mentioned that, the study team encountered constraints while trying to access available literatures and the willingness of service and support institutions to be engaged on the interviews were challenging too. The study noticed that well managed and planned landscape can become a source of forest goods and services, providing livelihood opportunities, and diversified sources of income for rural communities. The potential for cross-sectoral collaboration on natural resource management, robust and functional Forest and Farm Producer Organization however remains underutilized across all levels.

The presentation also gave an overview of key findings of the study as summarized below:

·  Typology of Producer Groups Surveyed

·  Type of Support and Service accessed by the Producer Groups and conditions attached to these services and or support

·  Affiliation of Forest and Farm Producer Groups to Farmer Apex Bodies

·  Legal Status of the Groups surveyed

·  Group Funding sources

·  Support and Services Need by the Producer Groups

·  Identified Capacity Gaps of the Groups

·  Group Relationships

·  Opportunities for Forest and Farm Management

·  Immediate Priority Focus Areas for implementing FFF activities

·  Proposed Monitoring Evaluation mechanism

·  Recommendations of the study

In the ensuing discussions, participants made the following observations and suggestions to improve the draft:

Ø  How Producer Groups could access initial support to implement their priority actions and be made self-sustaining;

Ø  Promotion of the use of mass media such a radio to create awareness on policies related to Forest and Farm;

Ø  Include the need for exchange visits (nationally and internationally) at policy and producer group levels to learn and share experiences;

Ø  The Forest areas under communal management needs to be legally Designated to ensure ownership and user rights;

Ø  Training representatives of producer groups on simple financial management; group facilitation skills; basic natural resources laws etc

Ø  Formalization on legal status of Groups needs to be supported

Ø  Certification and packaging of Forest and Farm Products needs to encouraged

On emerging issues, the workshop raised issues related to climate change; trans- boundary illegal logging and conflict management as interesting areas that could be explored.

To facilitate institutionalization and implementation of FFF support activities, the presentation and the discussions that followed, emphasized the need to ensure the following pre-conditions:

Ø  The existence of discrete producer groups and well established institutions;

Ø  Clearly defined resource property rights (land and forest);

Ø  Improved policy and legal frameworks as well as land use planning;

Ø  The need for a common shared vision between the State and other stakeholders - linked to FFF aspirations/development objectives;

Ø  Supportive institutional and political environments;

Ø  Equitable benefit sharing and access to markets and credit;

Ø  Capacity development at group, service and support institutional levels;

Ø  Improved knowledge base and long-term commitment by external players such as the State and development partners’

5.  Group Work Sessions

Three Group Works were conducted to validate the results of the study. The Groups were developed based on institution/ group and discipline during group sessions.

5.1 Group Work 1: Sectoral Overview of Constraints, Institutional Support and Facilities:

The participants were grouped into three groups (Government Organizations, Non- Governmental Organizations and Farmer Organizations) each to review sector specific constraints, institutional support and facilities. Results of the group works were presented in plenary and discussed upon prior to acceptance or rejection. Track changes made on the document with active stakeholder participation. Below are results obtained from Group Work 1:

Results from Government Organizations

Livestock sector Constraints

·  Lack of demarcated cattle tracks and grazing areas causing conflict among farmers

·  No quarantine control services for livestock coming in to the country causing disease spread

·  Lack of experts on diary production

·  Lack of annual vaccinations and drugs to combat livestock diseases

·  Proliferation of un-registered Veterinarian and Doctors

Forestry sector Constraints

·  Lack of understanding on the Participatory Forestry concepts by most local communities

·  Lack of private sector involvement in forest management

·  Lack of ongoing capacity building programmes for the forestry staff and local communities

Fisheries sector Constraints

·  Lack of control on the use of proper fishing gears (nets)

·  Lack of adequate fisheries field staff on the ground to provide services

Agriculture sector Constraints

·  Lack of proper mechanize farming techniques

·  Lack of proper diversification of crop production

·  Changing pattern of rainfall in relation to farmers choice of crops

·  Lack of steady market and price for farm products

Results from the NGO Group

·  The membership of certain existing Producer Groups is not clear for e.g. who are the members? Beneficiaries and the involvement of vulnerable groups? e.g. women, children and the poor

·  Groups have less skill to understand sectoral relationship and informed decisions during NGO interventions

·  Most NGOs usually operates in isolation with local communities and groups, thus a lot of duplication occurs due to the lack of coordination

·  NGO involvement in addressing illegal activities is lacking e.g. advocacy which sometimes prevent them from raising alarm or concerns over certain issues which can lead to disaster or serious problems

Group work session

Farmers Organizations and Cooperatives

·  Less emphasis to link production, processing and marketing to the needs of the farmers

·  Lack of inclusion of all stakeholders in the discussion of marketing strategies including pricing

·  Land ownership regulations not clear for communities to judiciously utilize the land for food security

·  Difficulty in obtaining important market information by the groups

·  Frequent change of managers at some Cooperative Societies

·  Poor management structures at most of the cooperative societies

5.2 Group works 2: Analysis of Services needed by the Producer Groups & Opportunities for Forest and Farm Management

The groups on group work 1 further continued to review the results of services needed by the producer groups and explored the opportunities for improving Forest and Farm management in the country. Below are results obtained from Group Work:

Group 1

Financial services

·  Move from the old initiative of micro- finance to macro with grants instead of loans to Producer Groups

·  Provide relevant market information system for producer groups

·  Provide training on simple financial management and record keeping

Group 2

Capacity Development services for markets

·  Training on the identification of viable products and means of marketing

·  Introduce labelling and advertisement of products produced by the poor

Group 3

Capacity Development services for Group management & Strengthening

·  Setting of management codes and draw up their individual Term of Reference (TOR)

·  Familiarize the management committee with the rules and regulations that have been formulated by the members

·  Proper networking among members, national partners and outsiders/donors

·  Strengthening the capacity of producer groups towards resource mobilization

·  Exchange visits and study tours to develop capacities on good practice

·  Conduction of regular meetings and writing of minutes during meetings

·  Monitoring of group activities and preparation of financial statements annually for presentation at the Annual General Meetings (AGMs)

Each of the group presentations was done in a participatory way; the floor was open for any clarifications and challenges that might arise during the plenary presentations by the groups. During the presentations there were matters that aroused and brought forward for discussions:

·  Tenure Rights on land and forest to ensure food security and sustainable natural resources management

·  Support to the registration of the producer groups either with Anthony General Chambers or Agric- Business under the Ministry of Agriculture

·  Strengthening of cross- sectoral coordination and collaboration horizontally and vertically

·  Build the capacity of the groups on simple financial management, group skills and technical matters

·  Collaboration and networking amongst partners

·  Alternative livelihood activities for the groups and at household level to maintain commitment and motivation

·  Farmer to Farmer exchange visits

This has opened a forum to discuss these issues in detailed by the participants, which led us to come up with recommendations to address the issues as described on the Immediate Priority Focus Areas below:

5.3 Group Work 3: Review and validate: Immediate Priority Focus Areas (IPFA) and Results Matrix of Forest and Farm Facility support to The Gambia. Below are the incorporations of the Groups:

IPFA: Strengthening cross-sectoral coordination involving Government, Non-Governmental Organizations, Forest and Farm Producer Groups, Civil Society and the Private sector facilitated

·  Engage in facilitated process with local producer organizations in the Gambia to ensure their organization and participation at national and sub national levels for policy processes (formulation and implementation)

·  Harmonization of cross-sectoral policies supported

·  Information Networking amongst stakeholders promoted

·  Facilitate Periodic feedback meetings of the ANR Platform for effective cross sectoral coordination ensured

·  Facilitate regular ANR platform meetings with agreed agenda on which forest and farmer issues (such as tenure) can be discussed at policy level

·  Conduction of monthly radio and/or television programmes on ANR Policy and other relevant FFF issues for wider stakeholder audience facilitated

·  Encourage local news papers to periodically publish key policy statements from sector-related policies (fisheries, forest, decentralization, land and water)

·  Conduction of an international exchange visit for Farmers and Producer Groups between the two pilot countries (Liberia and The Gambia) supported

·  Support Producer Groups to participate on Regional and International fora related to forest and farm management

·  Organize Farmers to network and link them to national umbrella associations

·  Follow-up with Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project of Ministry of Agriculture to link the ANR Platform to the up-coming SLM secretariat facilitated

IPFA: Enabling national environment (Policies, Acts and Regulations) enhanced to support Forest and Farm smallholders in developing business entities within national and international market sustainability principles.