This pamphlet offers a quick background on the FISPs and the key issues and concerns. It explains what FISPs are, their aims, why the FISPs are failing to meet their objectives, how they promote small-scale farmer dependency, and ways of transitioning out of FISPs towards more appropriate forms of smallholder farmer support.

African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) is partnering with Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) to host a regional farmer speak out and discussion on producer support and farm input subsidy programmes (FISPs) as part of the SADC People’s Summit to coincide with the SADC Heads of State Summit in Windhoek, Namibia, on 15-18 August 2018.

RWA is mobilizing their members from around the region to discuss a range of issues, including women and land, the FISPs and mining and extractives. RWA Namibia will launch. There may also be a day of convergence and action with the wider People’s Summit participants.

Women and men smallholder farmers from around the region will share their experiences and views on producer support and farm input subsidy programmes. Some of the FISP programmes take a big part of agricultural budgets, for example in Zambia or Malawi. They deliver a narrow package of hybrid seed, synthetic fertilisers and synthetic pesticides. Many farmers are not in favour of these technologies and would prefer other types of support.