You have two more weeks to provide your input for our “Professional Farmer Organisations – Guidelines” IWA 29 Systematic Review (the process to transition the IWA 29 into an International Standard).

AMEA worked with NEN, the Dutch National Standardization Bureau  (a member of ISO), to develop the “Professional Farmer Organizations – Guidelines” (IWA 29) using an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) process. The IWA 29 was designed to enable a shared understanding of how to most effectively build the professionalism of smallholder farmer organizations in emerging markets.

Since its publication in 2019, AMEA has used the IWA 29 to map all the materials in the AMEA toolbox and other tools used by AMEA members and partners. The AMEA tools have been used to support over 2 million farmers across the world. National Governments have also recognized the IWA 29 with the Netherlands, Sierra Leone, Uganda Honduras and Peru adopting the guidelines as a national standard. 

Now, we begin the process to transition the IWA 29 to an International Standard. As an internationally recognized guideline, the International Standard for professional farmer organizations will serve as reference to all those working closely with farmer organizations (and to farmer organizations themselves) for more efficient, effective and targeted assistance and services to farmer organizations.

The document may be confirmed for another three years, revised (to a full ISO standard) or withdrawn. We invite any interested stakeholders to express their view on this decision via a questionnaire (questionnaire also available in French and Spanish). Stakeholders are invited to provide their inputs before December 5, 2021.