HOW TO REALIZE FARMERS' RIGHTS AT THE
NATIONAL LEVEL:
Who should actually
identify such representatives?
Ideally farmers should do
so themselves. In countries with high membership levels and good
representation, it is possible to invite the relevant organizations to identify
representatives themselves. Perhaps they will choose some of their leaders and
some farmer members to ensure that the views from the ground are well
covered.
In countries where there are not so well developed
representation systems, or were membership levels are low, it is difficult to
find legitimate ways to identify farmers' representatives. Here it may be
useful to invite NGOs engaged in farming communities, extension services, and
other outreach programmes to help identifying farmers to participate in the
process. At best, all relevant institutions should be invited to identify some
of the representatives, thereby ensuring that different regions are
covered.