WFO joined IFAD and farmer organisations from across Eastern Europe and Central Asia in Kastamonu, Türkiye, for the Second FAFO ECA Forum. From finance and markets to climate resilience and digitalisation, WFO reaffirmed that farmer organisations must be at the centre of the decisions that affect them.

From 13 to 15 April 2026, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) participated in two connected events in Kastamonu, Türkiye: the Second Sub-Regional Farmers’ Forum for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (FAFO ECA), convened by IFAD, and the International Workshop with Farmers’ Organisations, co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Türkiye and IFAD.

The FAFO ECA brought together farmer organisations, rural producers and government representatives to strengthen collaboration, with a view to the next Global Farmers’ Forum in 2028. The workshop, formally opened by H.E. İbrahim Yumakli, launched a series of policy discussions under South-South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives.

WFO Secretary General Andrea Porro and Tamar Toria, Executive Director of the Georgian Farmers’ Association and Facilitator of the WFO Working Group on Climate Change, represented the organisation across both events.

A central message from WFO’s engagement in Kastamonu, aligned with its global policy work, is that farmer organisations must actively participate in the design of investment strategies and country programmes, not be brought in only after decisions are made. Early involvement is particularly important in the ECA region, where farmers’ organisations are still developing.

Andrea Porro co-moderated the thematic discussion on incentives, public-private finance and markets, highlighting how farmer organisations can act as intermediaries between financial institutions and their members — lowering transaction costs, aggregating demand and improving access to finance and markets. Addressing these challenges requires sustained investment in organisational capacity, beyond one-off projects. Women and young farmers, in particular, face significant barriers, making targeted approaches essential.

Tamar Toria contributed to the discussion on climate resilience in her capacity as Facilitator of the WFO Working Group on Climate Change — a role she also brings to global processes including the UNFCCC, where WFO represents the Farmers’ Constituency. Climate finance must reach farmers on the ground. In the ECA region, where farmer organisations have limited institutional support to channel adaptation resources to their members, this is an immediate priority, not a future ambition. With 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, WFO underlined that women farmers carry a disproportionate share of climate risk — and must be prioritised accordingly.

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At the workshop, Tamar Toria presented Agronavti, the digital platform developed by the Georgian Farmers’ Association. Initially launched in 2017 as a mobile application connecting farmers to buyers, it has evolved into an AI-powered tool supporting farm management, with personalised guidance on weather-adaptive planning, resource use and business decisions. Digital solutions deliver when farmer organisations are directly involved in their development and when farmers retain control over their data. Where connectivity gaps and limited digital skills persist, technology risks becoming a constraint rather than an enabler.

The FAFO ECA concluded with regional input towards a renewed Statement. WFO will continue its engagement through the Steering Committee to ensure that farmer organisations remain at the centre of the process and that discussions in Kastamonu translate into concrete progress ahead of the 2028 Global Farmers’ Forum.

Photo cover by IFAD