ComDev Initiatives
To harness the full potential of ComDev and enhance local capacities in this field, FAO supports a global ComDev hub and three regional ComDev initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Global Hub
Collaborative Change Communication (CCComDev): CCComDev serves as a global hub to advance inclusive rural communications services (RCS) and for capacity development in ComDev through knowledge sharing, partnerships and networking. CCComDev facilitates active linkages among three regional ComDev initiatives and relevant partners.
CCComDev is facilitated by the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in collaboration with the University of Queensland, the University of Guelph, Wageningen University, the University of Reading and Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. It actively supports the Rural Communication Working Group (RUC) of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR).
Regional Initiatives
ComDev Asia, Yenkasa Africa and Onda Rural include web-based platforms to facilitate experience sharing and collaboration among communication entities/networks, community media, farmer organizations, development institutions and programmes. With governance based on a Steering Committee and working groups, each initiative is responsible for the implementation of an annual Participatory Communication Plan (PCP) associated with the UN Decade of Family Farming (UNDFF). The PCPs are agreed among member partners and are based on three lines of work:
- awareness raising and engagement in family farming;
- enhanced communication capacity of farmer organizations and rural institutions; and
- promotion of rural communication services.
ComDev Asia promotes ComDev in agriculture and rural development in the AsiaPacific region. The initiative is instrumental in informing family farmers about new familyfarming policies as well as progress made by the UNDFF in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, among others. ComDev Asia also supports training programmes and communities of practice in communication for family farming, and undertakes research activities and consultations to promote inclusive RCS.
The initiative is facilitated by the College of Development Communication (CDC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), in partnership with the Asian Farmer's Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), Digital Green, the AsiaPacific chapter of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC AsiaPacific) and the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA).
YenKasa Africa concentrates its activities in subSaharan Africa and offers a platform leveraging the power of communication in addressing key agricultural challenges. Since 2020, YenKasa Africa has launched annual awarenessraising campaigns related to the UNDFF. It carries out training programmes on participatory video, rural radio and experience capitalization and supports studies on RCS trends in the region.
YenKasa Africa is facilitated by Farm Radio International (FRI), in partnership the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO), La Via Campesina (LVC), Plateforme Régionale des Organizations Paysannes d’Afrique Centrale (PROPAC) and Réseau des organisations paysannes et de producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (ROPPA).
Onda Rural links community radio stations, development agencies and indigenous and farmer organizations to promote participatory media and ICTs for sustainable development in Latin America. The initiative supports several capacitydevelopment activities, including an elearning course on ComDev in Spanish. It also releases a regional weekly radio magazine and facilitates a regional information service on family farming.
The initiative is facilitated by Centro Internacional de Estudios Superiores de Comunicación para América Latina (CIESPAL), with the support of Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias – América Latina (AMARC ALC), Resilience Environmental AgroForestation Foundation (REAF), Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación y Comunicación Popular (ALER), Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones del Campo (CLOCVía Campesina), Confederación de Organizaciones de Productores Familiares del Mercosur Ampliado (COPROFAM), and El Programa Diálogo Regional Rural (PDRR).