Connecting farmers to markets

As the world’s largest humanitarian agency, WFP is a major buyer of staple food. In 2011, WFP bought US$1.23 billion worth of food – more than 70 percent of this in developing countries. With the Purchase the Progress (P4P) initiative, WFP is taking this one step further. P4P uses WFP’s purchasing power and its expertise in logistics and food quality to offer smallholder farmers opportunities to access agricultural markets, to become competitive players in those markets and thus to improve their lives.

The five-year pilot initiative links WFP’s demand for staple food in 21 countries with the expertise of a host of partners who support farmers to produce food surpluses and sell them at a fair price. By 2013, at least half a million smallholder farmers will have increased and improved their agricultural production and earnings. By raising farmers’ incomes, P4P turns WFP’s local procurement into a vital tool to address hunger.  Learn more

P4P latest

Ethiopia - School meals supplied by local farmers

Markos and Elias have received school meals from WFP for the past two years, but the lunch they ate one day in November was special. The food WFP distributed was not shipped from overseas, or even from other countries in the region. For the first time ever, the students enjoyed a meal made from crops grown just a few kilometers from their school - purchased by WFP directly from Ethiopian farmers.

Cycling towards progress: a woman’s journey with P4P

During a recent visit of P4P staff to a village in the north of Burkina Faso called Pella, we were able to hear the story of a woman, her cowpeas, and her bicycle. This is the story of how the sale of cowpeas, which used to be primarily harvested for home consumption, has helped Azeta Sawadogo achieve a lifelong dream to own her own bicycle. With the help of P4P and the determination of Azeta, this dream has been achieved. Below is her story, which demonstrates how P4P initiatives can help transform the lives of smallholder farmers.

WFP Purchase for Progress Annual Consultation

From 28th to 31st January 2013, about 150 people from around the world will gather together at the FAO Headquarters in Rome for the WFP/P4P Annual Consultation.   As we enter the fifth and final year of the P4P pilot, this forum will provide a unique opportunity to reflect on the past four years and explore ways of moving forward together.    The meeting will take place over four days, with two days for discussion with all participants and two days for internal discussions.   In addition to WFP HQ and field staff, other participants will include government partners, private sector, agricultural institutions, donors and non-governmental organizations.  Below is a brief glimpse of what will be convered.

 

Uganda - Farmers in the north see good times ahead

In Uganda's impoverished Acholi subregion, farmers enrolled in P4P are part of a dramatic turnaround. The economy and trade are picking up and residents here are upbeat about the future.