Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation (NACCFL) has won first place at the new Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Awards Programme.
In their first edition, the awards acknowledge progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). NACCFL was praised for its efforts to “enhance the living standards of local communities, promote sustainable agrifood systems, protect biodiversity and combat the impacts of the climate crisis.”
The apex will receive €5,000, with an equal amount going to second-prize winner, Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS) from Lebanon.
The awards were presented in a ceremony on 24 April at FAO’s headquarters in Rome, on the sidelines of the 172nd session of the FAO Council, the organisation’s executive body.
“Today we are here to acknowledge the success of individuals and institutions that recognize the benefits of collaboration and teamwork to achieve a sustainable food secure future for all,” said FAO director-general Qu Dongyu. “Partnerships serve to find innovative ways to do things by pooling diverse capacities and increasing creativity, and by bringing new resources to reach those left behind.”
NACCFL and FAO have been working together for more than a decade to strengthen agricultural systems management in the country.
The federation has 1,139 agricultural co-operative members, offering them access to markets, financial services, and training to help them increase production.
Through this award, the FAO recognised NACCFL’s ability to communicate “through policy dialogues and participation in various forums, the complex agricultural and economic issues of smallholder farmers to policymakers and promoting solutions to address hunger and malnutrition in the country”.
