1. How does the network benefit your organisation?
ETC Foundation supports people-centred, sustainable development in natural resource management and agriculture, energy and health, both in rural and urban settings. ETC’s mission is to promote sustainable agriculture and food security. Our programmes are aimed at supporting development that builds on local knowledge, culture and skills to make producers less vulnerable to the rapidly changing environment. In the past years Agri-ProFocus has played an important role in keeping sustainable agriculture and livestock keeping on the agenda. It has done so, for example, by supporting the policy debate on Agriculture and Climate. In addition, when the proposals of several alliances focusing on agriculture were not accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a next round of government funding, Agri-ProFocus expressed its concern that knowledge and networks of partner organisations and professionals are at risk. Through APF, ETC felt that its concerns were brought closer to the policy level. In addition, at country level, the APF-supported Agri-Hubs brought together a number of ETC-partners and other organisations working on sustainable agriculture.

2. Please give an example of a joint action, in which the APF network played a visible role.
The work of APF in Uganda has served as an inspiration to further develop and design the work of ETC and its alliance partners on regional food systems. More recently, APF has facilitated the organisation of a side-event ‘Livestock, Climate Change and Food Security’ at the Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate, co-led by ETC Foundation. As a follow-up, ETC and APF jointly organised a one-day conference to discuss the topic with a broader audience, including government representatives and academia. In addition, APF and ETC made an inventory of livestock-related activities of APF partners, towards setting up a number of concrete joint activities between the partners.

3. If you were in charge, what should the APF network look like in 5 years’ time?
In five years’ time, APF will be the local facilitating Platform for promoting sustainable agriculture and food security in a number of countries. The network will include local producer organisations, NGOs, private sector actors, government and extension services, irrespective of whether these are Dutch-funded. In the Netherlands, APF will remain a platform that keeps agriculture on the policy agenda, and that encourages Dutch development organisations and other stakeholders to engage in joint initiatives, building on the complementary character of their work.

4. How will your organisation contribute to the APF network in the next 2 years?
At the international level, ETC will co-organise the debate and exchange experience on Agriculture and Climate Change, Regional Food Systems and Urban Agriculture. It hopes to be able, with the support of APF, to develop “new” approaches to development and pilot these in developing countries, joining hands with the networks and expertise of other APF members and southern partners. ETC will encourage active participation of its southern partners in the knowledge hubs which are closely related to the work of partners. Finally, ETC could facilitate the organisation of communities of practice among southern partners, building on its long-standing experience.

Contact: Frans Verberne

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