Improved market linkages for organic farmers

Most farmers produce small quantities for sale but find that the local trader is only prepared to pay a low price compared to wholesale prices. As individuals, farmers have little bargaining power with traders and most often accept almost any price offered. Farmer organization in FFLGs and cooperatives is greatly supportive in empowering farmers to bring together their quality produce and raise reasonable volumes, bargain and sell at prices that secure a fair earning for their work. Improved access to less costly organic certification benefits a great number of small-scale organic farmers, as does collective marketing performed by FFLGs and FFLG-initiated market associations.

Small-scale farmers have limited access to costly education and organic certification which restrain them from selling to organic markets. Certification rates are high which hinders many small-scale producers in certifying their production systems. Instead, organic produce is brought to conventional markets, resulting in lack of differentiation, unexploited opportunities for value addition and limited consumer willingness to pay for the value of non-certified organic produce. Further, limited access to knowledge of market demands and value chains, missing market linkages as well as low and inconsistent production and delivery to market build barriers.