The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, FEB 16, 2021
International non-profit organisation Tanager along with global impact firm Palladium has announced the launch of the Promotion and Stabilization of Farmer Producer Organizations (PSFPO) project to increase the profitability and sustainability of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Market Facing Companies (MFCs) in Odisha.
The three-year project, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, would work with farmers, Government of Odisha, FPOs and MFCs to develop FPO ecosystem in the State, to better implement policies and interventions for FPO strengthening, to streamline access to markets and to prepare farmers to interact with the private sector.
PSFPO project takes both a top down and bottom-up approach to creating impact for FPOs and MFCs. Tanager will be leading on the management and on-farm activities for the project. With its experience in working with FPOs and MFCs across India, Tanager will work to improve FPO management, support market linkages between FPOs and the private sector, and improve gender equity. PSFPO works to address gender inequity in Farmer Producer Companies and Market Facing Companies so that women and female youth benefit from FPO membership and services.
“In India, Farmer Producer Organisations are a key entry point to increase smallholder farmer incomes and improve gender equity at the farm level. Tanager is grateful that the Government of Odisha, Palladium, and our funding partners on the PSFPO project share our resolve and passion to improve the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers,” said Amit Kumar Singh, Tanager Country Representative, India.
Palladium will work closely with the Odisha Government as technical support unit to catalyse engagement among key FPO ecosystem stakeholders and support the Government to implement their FPO Policy. It will also work to synchronise existing digital systems to better serve FPOs in Odisha and assist the State Government entities to implement digital governance and results measurement in the FPO ecosystem.
“Palladium brings its market systems development thinking and government advisory expertise into this forward-looking project in Odisha. We are delighted to partner with BMGF, the Govt of Odisha and Tanager to strengthen the FPO ecosystem in Odisha,”said Shivani Manaktala, Director, The Palladium.
