Program title: Cooperation as a tool to increase farmers' welfare in Moldova

1. Program objectives

Overall objective:

Well functioning coops contribute to the overall welfare of the Moldovan Rural Communities

Short-term objectives:

• The cooperatives are farmers' owned and controlled;
• The income of the cooperative members is increased as a result of successful business functioning;

The managers and management bodies of the cooperatives improve their entrepreneurial and managerial skills.

2. Program activities

The main activities can be grouped in the following clusters:

• Project start up in terms of administration, information and promotion;
• Selection of cooperatives/groups – beneficiaries of the program;
• Selection of Regional Organizations – partners in program implementation;
• Development of the assistance plan for each program beneficiary;
• Implementation of the assistance plans;
• Development of training module and providing training;
• Training the Boards and coop managers;
• Study tours and exchange of experience;
• Administration and reporting;
• Monitoring and evaluation.

3. Expected results

The main results are as follows:

• 20 cooperatives operate on the basis of classic cooperation principles and contribute to the income increase of 400 farmer-members;
• A training module and a training guide in coop development and management will be developed ;
• 100 farmers – leaders in their communities, members of the boards out of which 40 are women manage correctly the coops as a result of improved skills;
• 5 Regional Organizations able to provide innovative assistance in creating and developing coops in Moldova.

4. Expected impact

The major impact expected by the program is that farmers increase their practical capacities in administrating their coops and they benefit correctly from the cooperatives' services.

In social terms this project offers farmers a way of real participation in their own cooperative as decision makers, as clients based on classic cooperative's principles. Another effect is related to increased women and young farmers' leadership in decision making process at the cooperative level in solving their own problems.

In economic- and technical terms, the biggest impact is expected from the improved cooperation that will help farmers to take better business decisions and to get better income. Farmers will also learn how to benefit from cooperative services.

The impact at organizational level will be reached by developing capacity of AGROinform network at national and regional level by providing assistance in cooperative development and develop a new type of services which could generate incomes in the future.

Project start date: XXXX 2006

Project end date: XXXXX2008