THE AMEA FRAMEWORK
AMEA aims to transform the way in which farmers and their organisations are supported. In most countries this system does not exist. Instead hundreds of projects deliver services in a fragmented, expensive and unsustainable way. The AMEA network works toward a system that accelerates farmer organisation professionalisation and incentivises service quality improvement. This system is what we call the AMEA Framework.
Professional farmer organization - Guidelines
'IWA 29: Professional farmer organizations – Guidelines' provide a common language for all stakeholders in the agricultural sector on the key characteristics of a professional farmer organization. Its purpose is to support professionalism leading to improved performance and access to finance and markets and to align visions and interventions of stakeholders in their efforts to professionalize farmer organizations.
Approved assessments and training content (Toolkit)
In order to scale up and advance progress on the development of professional farmer organizations, the sector needs systemic change. This change starts by all stakeholders agreeing on and speaking a common language (the IWA 29). Then, based on the common language, capacity developers use assessment tools with the farmer organizations they work with to measure levels of professionalism and to identify gaps for improvement.
To complement the AMEA toolkit, AMEA has a database of qualified trainers and coaches, who can deliver high-quality training and coaching tailored to farmer organizations’ needs and in accordance to the core capacities of the IWA global guidelines. These trainers and coaches are experienced in using the AMEA-approved assessment tools and training programs and come recommended by other members.
The AMEA Assessments and Training Working Group has developed a set of common indicators, aimed at measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of capacity development projects for farmer organizations. The common indicators can be integrated into AMEA members’ project designs to promote data benchmarking and deeper learning within the network.
AMEA organizations increasingly collaborate to strenthen their interventions and develop best practices. Through the experience of its members, AMEA continuously improves and adapts the AMEA Framework to advance professional farmer organizations.