Farmers’ Organizations for Institutional Strengthening, Market Access, Policy Engagement, Advocacy, Community and Transformation (FO4IMPACT)

The FO4IMPACT project is a transformative regional initiative implemented by the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) with support from the European Union through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The project seeks to strengthen farmers’ organizations (FOs) as key drivers of inclusive agricultural transformation, improved livelihoods, and climate resilience across Eastern Africa.

FO4IMPACT empowers farmers’ organizations to deliver better services to their members, improve access to markets and finance, influence agricultural policies, and promote sustainable and agroecological farming systems. The project particularly targets smallholder farmers, women, youth, pastoralists, fishers, and farmer-led enterprises. The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 70,000 small-scale farmers across the region.

Funding Amount

• Grant Amount: EUR 3,750,000
• Implementation Period: Up to 21 August 2030

Target Countries

The FO4IMPACT project is being implemented in seven countries in Eastern Africa:

• Burundi
• Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
• Kenya
• Rwanda
• South Sudan
• Tanzania
• Uganda

Project Objectives

The overall objective of FO4IMPACT is to promote inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient agricultural value chains and improve farmers’ incomes through strengthened farmers’ organizations.

The project aims to:

1. Strengthen services to farmers and farmer-led enterprises
   • Improve access to technical, economic, and financial services.
   • Enhance market linkages and agribusiness opportunities.
   • Support women and youth-led enterprises.
2. Promote climate resilience and agroecology
   • Advance regenerative agriculture and agroecological practices.
   • Support research, innovation, and climate-smart farming systems.
3. Enhance policy engagement and advocacy
   • Strengthen evidence-based advocacy by farmers’ organizations.
   • Influence policies that support sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems.
4. Build stronger and more accountable farmers’ organizations
   • Improve governance, transparency, and institutional performance.
   • Enhance coordination, monitoring, and learning systems.

Key Areas of Intervention

The project is structured around three major components implemented by EAFF:

1. Services to Members

• Market access and value chain development
• Access to finance and green investments
• Farmer advisory services and agribusiness support
• Youth and women entrepreneurship
• Agroecological transition and climate-smart agriculture

2. Advocacy and Policy Engagement

• National and regional policy dialogues
• Development of policy briefs and advocacy tools
• Strengthening farmer representation in regional and global forums

3. Capacity Development and Strategic Coordination

• Institutional strengthening of farmers’ organizations
• Governance and accountability systems
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)
• Communication, visibility, and knowledge management

Expected Results

FO4IMPACT is expected to deliver the following outcomes:

• Increased incomes and improved market access for smallholder farmers.
• Enhanced adoption of climate-smart and agroecological farming practices.
• Improved access to finance, including climate and green funds.
• Stronger participation of women and youth in agricultural enterprises and governance.
• Better representation of farmers’ organizations in policy-making processes.
• Strengthened farmers’ organizations with improved governance and accountability.
• Enhanced regional collaboration and knowledge sharing among farmer organizations.

Through FO4IMPACT, EAFF is strengthening the voice and capacity of farmers’ organizations to build resilient food systems and sustainable livelihoods across Eastern Africa.