Eastern and Southern Africa small scale Farmers’ Forum |14 July 2014

Newly elected chairman Benstrong believes Seychelles will gain a lot from ESAFF

Seychellois Serge Benstrong is the new chairman of the Eastern and Southern Africa small scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) and believes the country stands to gain a lot from this organisation.

He was elected into office by an overwhelming majority during the ESAFF tri-annual general summit held in Morogoro, Tanzania on June 26, 2014 and will run the organisation for the next three years.

Speaking to Seychelles Nation in a telephone interview, Mr Benstrong said Seychelles’ farming in general stands to benefit a lot from the organisation.

“We can benefit from capacity building and training. We can also get financial help whenever ESAFF receives funding from development partners. Being part of ESAFF allows us to take part in advocacy events and network with other small scale farmers from the continent to be abreast of developments happening in farming,” said Mr Benstrong who has served on the EASFF committee since 2009.

Mr Benstrong is the chairman of the Seychelles Farmers Association (SeyFA), a non-profit farmers’ trade organisation which was officially registered on October 15, 2002. It was initiated by a small group of livestock farmers who felt the need to educate themselves and fellow farmers to lobby and advocate for their common interests and rights.
 
SeyFA’s main source of revenue is from membership fees and donor funding. It is a member of the Southern African Consideration of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) and of ESAFF.

The ESAFF is a network of small holder farmers that advocate for policy, practice and attitude change that reflects the needs, aspirations, and development of small-scale farmers in east and southern Africa. It was established in 2002 after the World Summit of Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa. ESAFF is registered in Tanzania under Non Governmental Organisations Act 2002 of the United Republic of Tanzania.

It is made up of 13 member countries – Tanzania through MVIWATA, Kenya (Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum – KESSFF), Uganda (ESAFF Uganda), Zambia (ESAFF Zambia), Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Small Organic Smallholder Famers Forum – ZIMSOFF), Lesotho (Lesotho Small Scale Farmers Forum), South Africa (ESAFF South Africa), Malawi (National Small Scale Farmers Movement -NASFAM), Rwanda (APPPE), Burundi (ESAFF Burundi), Madagascar (Confédération des Agriculteurs Malagas – CPM), Seychelles (Seychelles Farmers Association – SeyFA) and Mozambique (ROSA).
SeyFA has been a member of ESAFF since 2009.

The vision statement of the ESAFF is to be a strong effective forum of empowered small scale farmers with united voices in the policy processes for ecological agriculture and poverty free eastern and southern Africa region.

Its mission statement is to empower small scale farmers in eastern and southern Africa to influence development policies and promote ecological agriculture through capacity strengthening, research and networking.

The purpose of the organisation is to enable small farmers in eastern and southern Africa to speak as a united voice so that the issues, concerns and recommendations of farmers become an integral part of policies and practices at grassroots, national, regional and international levels.

EASFF was established out of the Small Scale Farmers’ Convergence (SFC) which was a parallel event at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August 2002.  

The SFC was attended by more than 300 small scale farmers from 19 countries representing Africa, Latin America, Canada, Europe and Asia. The purpose of the Convergence was for the small scale farmers to have a forum to speak as a united voice so that the issues and recommendations of farmers could become an integral part of the deliberations and outcomes of the WSSD.