In developing countries many people live and work in rural areas. They play a crucial role in solving the problems of hunger and poverty. If they do not manage to organise themselves, they will remain powerless on a political level and will be economically disadvantaged. Agriterra’s work is based on the conviction that if they organise themselves, they will be able to take the responsibility of their development into their own hands. Strong and representative agricultural organisations are indispensable for the promotion of democracy, for a better distribution of income and for the economic development of a country.
Agriterra was founded in 1997 by the following Dutch rural people’s organisations:
- LTO Noord, ZLTO and LLTB (united in LTO Nederland, the Dutch Federation of Agriculture and Horticulture)
- the Dutch Foundation of Cooperating Women's Organisations (SSVO)
- the National Cooperative Council for Agriculture and Horticulture (NCR)
- the Dutch Agricultural Youth Organisation (NAJK).
These organisations make up the Board and the Advisory Council of Agriterra. Agriterra’s offices are located in Arnhem, where its personnel of more than forty people work.
All in all, Agriterra works together with approximately 80 rural people’s organisations in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, as well as with approximately 30 organisations in the Netherlands.
Our projects range from rural-tourism, the improvement of potato production, and the establishment of farmers credit banks to the penetration of new products in the market or of existing products in new markets.
