In North Macedonia, we are also working through two national projects:
Supporting Small-Scale Farmers in North Macedonia
Partner organisation: National Federation of Farmers (NFF)
The project’s main goal is to address challenges faced by small-scale farmers and rural communities in North Macedonia due to global uncertainties, economic instability, and conflicts. It focuses on improving market diversification, enhancing farmers’ livelihoods, and supporting vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities. The project highlights the need for intervention measures, domestic subsidies, and legal mechanisms like contract farming.
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) is actively engaged in lobbying and advocating for urgent measures to mitigate the crisis’s effects. They prioritize organizational development, market linkages, and social justice, with a focus on gender equality. Climate change adaptation, food security, and sovereignty are also key concerns.
The project aims to strengthen the NFF’s influence on policies, promote sustainable farming practices, and provide equal opportunities for men and women in the agriculture sector. Target groups include small-scale farmers, women, and youth groups, marginalized rural communities, and agricultural organizations.
The strategic objectives cover organizational development, lobbying, education, economic empowerment, climate adaptation, gender equality, and regional cooperation. The project aims for sustainability by sharing information, establishing successful models, and commercializing services for farmers. Overall, it seeks to improve livelihoods, market access, climate resilience, and gender equality for small farmers and rural communities.
Organisational Development of NFF and Improved Market Linkages for Small Farmers
The project aims to improve the organizational development of the NFF (National Farmers Federation) and establish better market linkages for small farmers and producers in rural areas. The desired outcomes include increased income and employment opportunities for rural individuals, particularly women and youth. The project focuses on enhancing market access, promoting domestic agriculture products, and piloting a sustainable business model in the food supply chain. Additionally, the project aims to enhance the organizational capacities and financial sustainability of the NFF through the development of new services, training, and mentoring. The geographical scope of the project covers the entire country. The project builds upon the lessons learned from a previous project that addressed food security and economic empowerment in response to the recent global challenges.
The project’s main results from the previous implementation include an analysis of broken market linkages, lobby and advocacy efforts, networking of agricultural producers, and support measures for production. The project seeks to build upon these results and further strengthen the agricultural sector’s resilience and economic development in rural areas.
