































   Advancements in Agricultural Development 
  Volume 4, Issue 3, 2023 
  agdevresearch.org 

 

1. Juan Xavier Ullaguari, Graduate Student, Zamorano University, Valle del Yeguare, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 11101, 

juan.ullaguari@est.zamorano.edu,   https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9880-313X 
2. Rafael Landaverde, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University, 600 John Kimbrough Blvd, TAMU 2116, College Station, TX 

77843, rafael.q@ag.tamu.edu,  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6489-04773  
3. Arie Sanders, Associate Professor, and Associate Dean Postgraduate Program, Zamorano University, Valle del Yeguare, 

Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 11101, asanders@zamorano.edu,  https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6548-4454  
4. Alexis Zickafoose, Graduate Student, The Ohio State University, 200E Agricultural Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Road, 

Columbus, Ohio 43210, Zickafoose.18@buckeyemail.osu.edu,  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0327-3640  
131 

 

Farmer-Producer Organizations During the COVID-19 
Pandemic: Examining the Role of Organization-Producer 

Relationships on Coping, Resiliency, and Effectiveness 
 

J. X. Ullaguari1, R. Landaverde2, A. Sanders3, A. Zickafoose4 
 

 
Article History 
Received: April 25, 2023 
Accepted: August 10, 2023 
Published: September 5, 2023 
 
 
Keywords 
association; collective action; 
quarantine; resilience; virus 
  

Abstract 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, farmer-producer organizations 
continued to serve their members. This qualitative study aimed to 
understand how agricultural farmer-producer organizations assisted 
their members in bearing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic 
in western Honduras. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 
farmer-producer association affiliates and thematic coding of their 
responses, eight coping mechanism themes were identified: (a) 
continuous training, (b) seeking and securing external funding for 
investment, (c) new and safe agricultural markets, (d) value-added food, 
(e) stable and competitive prices, (f) advocacy for temporary mobility 
permits, (g) agricultural, financial, and food aid packages, and (h) 
emotional support. Members felt that these efforts were effective. 
However, the stability of the farmer-producer organizations was 
contingent upon the engagement and commitment of the members 
themselves. Practitioners and farmer-producer organizations can use this 
study to strengthen formalized social networks in Honduras and similar 
economic and productive environments. However, further research is still 
needed to identify the factors which motivate agricultural individuals to 
engage in farmer-producer organizations. 

 

mailto:juan.ullaguari@est.zamorano.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9880-313X
mailto:rafael.q@ag.tamu.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6489-04773
mailto:asanders@zamorano.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6548-4454
mailto:Zickafoose.18@buckeyemail.osu.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0327-3640


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Introduction and Problem Statement 
 
The 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) generated a health crisis that affected countries’ economies 
and populations worldwide (Zavaleta-Cortijo et al., 2020). Although the focus has been mainly 
on public health, economic sectors such as tourism and fossil fuels have also received public 
and private attention due to quantifiable financial losses (Rempel & Gupta, 2021; Škare et al., 
2021).  
 
On the other hand, agriculture has had less relevance, although government distancing and 
biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of the virus impacted the activity of small-, 
medium-, and large-scale agricultural systems (Lopez-Ridaura et al., 2021). Several researchers 
agree that these measures have caused widespread consequences of reduced productivity in 
the farming sector but have been incredibly profound for small rural producers in low- and 
middle-income countries (McBurney et al., 2021). 
 
During lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, rural households in the developing world 
depended on emergency assistance from local and national governments and international 
organizations (Workie et al., 2020). The lack of preventive measures from governments with no 
means to respond effectively to emergencies forced farmers to seek coping mechanisms to 
continue agricultural production (Workie et al., 2020). Collective action through farmer-
producer organizations (FPOs) has proven to be a fundamental survival strategy in the face of 
contemporary problems in agriculture-dependent households (Bijman, 2016). Farmer-producer 
organizations can offer monetary benefits (e.g., competitive prices), tangible and specific 
business practices (e.g., access to services), and intangible benefits (e.g., bargaining power) and 
reduce rural poverty (Bebbington, 2019). Despite the existing literature on FPOs and the 
benefits for their members, the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized a literature gap on the FPOs’ 
role in providing coping mechanisms during public-health crises.  
 

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 
 
This study's theoretical framework was a contextualized version of the Farmer Participation 
Framework for Collective Action (FICA) (Ekepu et al., 2017). FICA is theoretically rooted in the 
theory of collective action (Olson, 2009) and entails the underlying conditions that can enhance 
farmers' participation in collectively organized associations. FICA positions Farmer Producer 
Organizations (FPOs) at the center of multilateral relations across farming development 
stakeholders such as government, community initiatives, and FPOs. This last group brings the 
outcomes of those relationships to farmers, who can obtain multilateral benefits through 
membership and collective action, including capacity building, technical and emotional support, 
and financial assistance. FPOs can assist farmers through collective action in change processes 
and emergencies through two types of association structures: (a) informal organizations that 
function autonomously to regulate internal group relations with assistance orientation and 
linkage function; and (b) formal organizations which are more recent, professionally managed, 
and organized on economic principles (Meinzen-Dick et al., 2004). Though, formal 

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organizations’ activities do not neglect local traditions and other needs of its members. The 
main objective of the latter is to perform a bridging function to organize relations between the 
group and the outside world (Onumah et al., 2007; Trebbin, 2014). FICA has been used to study 
farmers' collective activity in innovation adoption, adaptation, and crisis management 
scenarios. For example, Ekepu et al. (2017) used FICA to explore the participation of Ugandan 
farmers in collective action to improve the sorghum value chain, and Vu et al. (2020) integrated 
it when exploring the impact of FPOS on household income. For this study, FICA aids in 
explaining how FPOs assisted their members during the COVID-19 pandemic by regulating 
group activities and engaging members with services and resources from other stakeholders 
(Figure 1). 
 
Figure 1 
 
Farmer Participation Framework for Collective Action (FICA) 
 

 
Note. Adapted from Ekepu et al. (2017). 
 
In Honduras, farming communities experienced a decrease in their economic income due to 
mobility restrictions that prevented commercialization (Pino et al., 2020), but overall, they lost 
access to off-farm work. In addition, the World Food Programme (2022) estimates that half of 
the Honduran population experiences poverty and exacerbated climate change, making them 
vulnerable to external shocks. Therefore, it was predictable that the pandemic would severely 
impact the Honduran economic performance and labor markets (Food and Agriculture 
Organization, 2021). 
 
FPOs link individual producers with stakeholders throughout the food production chain 
(Meinzen-Dick et al., 2004). Routinely, FPOs' intermediation has improved commercial relations 

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and commitments between interested parties. In addition, FPOs have also increased farmers' 
participation in more competitive and globalized environments through their proactive 
response to structural adjustment policies, economic liberalization, and globalization (Moustier 
et al., 2010). However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges such as limited interaction, 
the closure of domestic and international marketing channels, and increased production costs 
brought new challenges to the operation of FPOs. 
 

Purpose 
 
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many of the shortcomings in agricultural production 
systems. Therefore, as societies have returned to normal, research on how certain groups 
coped with the health crisis continues to emerge, which intends to inform the readiness of 
farming systems for future issues. This study aimed to understand how agricultural FPOs aided 
their members to withstand the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in western Honduras. 
The following research questions guided this research project. 
1. What coping mechanisms were implemented by farmer-producer organizations to support 

their members to counter the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic? 
2. How effective were the coping mechanisms implemented by the farmer-producer 

organization as perceived by their members? 
3. How have members contributed to the stability of the farmer-producer organizations during 

the COVID-19 pandemic? 
 

Methods 
 
Based on the constructivist paradigm, this study implemented a basic qualitative design 
(Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Four organization leaders and 16 active members of FPOs in the 
Municipality of La Esperanza, Department of Intibucá, Honduras, participated in semi-
structured interviews. Interviews were conducted between September and December 2021. A 
literature-based interview guide developed in Spanish, assessed for content validity by a panel 
of experts with experience in qualitative research, agricultural production, and community 
development in Latin America, was used to gather information. Sample interview questions are 
as follows: how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the organization's members (e.g., 
Transportation, availability of inputs, access to markets)? And how are the members supporting 
the organization in facing the COVID-19 pandemic? 
 
For this study, participating FPOs had to have (a) legal registration and (b) maintained 
commercial activities for all or part of the strictest period of the COVID-19 pandemic in 
Honduras (March-December 2020). As a result, four associations were purposively selected. 
The FPOs had similar organizational structures in which the leaders, in addition to being 
responsible for the management and governance of resources, acted as legal representatives of 
the organization. On the other hand, members must prove their membership through the 
official registry and compliance with FPO regulations regarding activities engagement and 
compliance with purchase and sale commitments of fruits and vegetables. All associations 

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share a long history of producing and marketing fruits and vegetables in several markets across 
Honduras. For each association, participants were selected using a convenience sampling 
framework. A general description of the FPOs can be found in Table 1. Most interviewees were 
female (55%) between 24 and 65 years old. Each participant was assigned a pseudonym to 
protect their privacy (L: Leaders; F: Famer member). 
 
Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the location and date of the participants'  
convenience. All participants received a verbal explanation and signed a written informed 
consent form detailing the study, their participation rights, and future results use. Participants 
were allowed to ask questions about the research and receive a copy of the informed consent 
form. While most of the association members were interviewed at their homes, the leaders and 
one member preferred the offices of their respective FPO. Interviews were conducted in 
Spanish by the primary author, a native Spanish speaker. The interviews with the leaders lasted 
an average of one hour, and those with members lasted 45 minutes. All interviews were 
conducted in a private setting and audio-recorded with the prior authorization of the 
participants. The recordings were transcribed using a text data processor for further analysis. 
 
Table 1 
 
Farmer-producer Organizations’ Characteristics  
FPO Members Membership 
1 285 Organized producers (35% women) 
2 650 Organized producers (100% women) 
3 69 Individual producers (100% women) 
4 103 Individual producers (40% women) 

 
Thematic coding guided by the data was implemented to analyze the interview transcripts. 
Transcripts were coded line-by-line in two consecutive rounds. In the first round, the initial 
codes were identified. In the second round, the codes were organized into themes (Gibbs, 
2007). Coding was conducted simultaneously by two researchers to establish dependability. 
Once the analysis was completed, a research team member translated the results into English 
(Elliott, 2018). The veracity of the translation was corroborated by another team member who 
is fluent in Spanish and a native English speaker (Squires, 2008). Finally, the positionality of the 
research team was as follows: The PI was born and raised in a similar Latin American country to 
Honduras. Three researchers have lived in Honduras for extended periods and worked with the 
FPOs in other research and development projects. Three of the researchers were proficient in 
Spanish. All the researchers had previous experience in qualitative and social agricultural-
related research in the Latin American socio-economic context.  
 
 
 
 
 

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Findings 
 

What coping mechanisms were implemented by producer associations to support their 
members in countering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic? 
According to the producer associations' representatives, the coping mechanisms for the COVID-
19 pandemic were intended to continue agricultural production and marketing. Despite the 
distancing and mobilization restrictions imposed by the Honduran government, all the 
associations claimed to have continued operations during the health crisis. However, only one 
has operated since the pandemic's start. L2 said, “Initially, we did not let our guard down and 
continued despite the circumstances. We continued with planting programs because we 
understood that the issue of food was going to be essential in these times.” However, the rest 
of the associations halted operations for up to three months before reactivating (L1, L3, L4). In 
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, eight coping mechanisms were implemented by the FPOs 
and are presented below. 
 
Continuous Training  
FPOs continued their training on agricultural production and added topics on biosafety 
standards and virtual communication tools. L1 commented, “We looked for information on 
biosafety regulations to implement them in our activities and to continue working safely…We 
had to adapt to a new working method because everything became virtual. We updated 
ourselves on recommendations for the pandemic.” Much of the information on how to prevent 
COVID-19 reached farmers through the training above. F5 commented, “Since the pandemic 
began, the association has always encouraged wearing a mask, using gel alcohol, and keeping 
distance to avoid contagions.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, FPOs had to provide more than 
their usual technical assistance in planning and managing agricultural production and 
marketing. For example, L2 affirmed: “What we provided the most was technical advice to 
maintain the planting plans that we had helped them develop.” Furthermore, given the growing 
demand for technical assistance, one of the associations used a technical representative, 
known as “promoter,” who was trained in agriculture and nutrition, to provide technical 
assistance to FPOs members during the pandemic. Regarding the promoters, R4 mentioned: 

To provide technical assistance, we did it through promoters, who had been getting 
training for a long time. They helped a lot because they live in the same communities as 
our members, so they had no problems communicating or traveling. 

 
Members acknowledged how important the training they received from the FPOs was, 
especially during the first couple of months when mobility restrictions prevented them from 
adequately maintaining their agricultural productivity. They had to adapt to many changes in 
society and production. For example, F6 said, “Technicians came to the community on 
motorbikes, and on certain occasions, they gave us advice over the phone, but most of the 
time, we used videos and texts on WhatsApp.” 
 
 
 

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Seeking and Securing External Funding for Investment  
In response to the reduction in agricultural production and marketing activities, the 
associations dedicated themselves to developing competitive proposals to apply for financial 
resources from donor organizations. R3 commented, “Despite the negative impacts, in the 
closing months, we were at home, but we developed proposals because greater opportunities 
arose to apply for resources. That is why we managed several proposals to assist our members 
and are now executing them.” As a result, two of the FPOs secured funding from international 
aid organizations to implement members’ led projects. For example, R2 said, “We managed to 
get financial support from an international donor to set up new projects. Thanks to this grant, it 
was possible to support members with protected structures, animal husbandry projects (e.g., 
birds and pigs), vouchers for farm management, and family orchards.” 
 
New and Safe Agricultural Markets  
Faced with multiple restrictions on social interaction, marketing stopped, forcing FPOs to 
cultivate relationships with new markets using new marketing and business strategies (F2, F7, 
F13). For example, F6 mentioned, “With the pandemic, online sales companies with which we 
work have emerged and have facilitated selling our products. This is because the association 
has been so helpful throughout negotiating the service terms.” Similarly, one of the FPOs 
created its first website to market agricultural products, increasing the number of commercial 
transactions and improving communication with community stakeholders (F8, F9). 
Even though new markets emerged due to the FPOs' efforts, additional support was needed to 
purchase members’ agricultural production. For example, some FPOs always buy their 
members fruits and vegetables. This relationship offered those members a secure and stable 
market to generate income (F2, F3, F4). Still, it represented a challenge for the FPOs, who had 
to continue supplying markets they had worked with for a long time. While one FPO never 
interrupted the purchase of agricultural products, one stopped for two weeks, and the other 
two suspended the service for up to three months (F14, F16). F8 said, “The association always 
bought me [production] during the pandemic; it never stopped buying our crops. Having a fixed 
market helped me not to feel the pandemic in its hardest moments.” 
 
Value-added food 
FPOs incorporated value-added products into their operations to increase clientele (F8, F11). 
Extending shelf-life and producing by-products were the two most common value-addition 
processes implemented by FPOs. Value addition was possible because food processing could 
continue with a permit issued by the national government despite biosecurity measures. For 
example, F2 mentioned, “The pandemic forced us to invent. So, we processed some products… 
We made changes and investments. Still, we worked on producing fruit concentrates, sauces, 
and jams...association leaders taught us about food processing and safety and got all the 
sanitary permits.”  Members also mentioned producing sweetened fruit syrups, candies, 
pickles, and salads (F6, F13). 
 
 
 
 

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Stable and Competitive Prices 
FPOs offered stable and competitive prices to their members during the COVID-19 pandemic 
(F3, F8, F10, F16). According to L1: 

Prices for members were maintained during the pandemic. There was even an 
improvement in some prices for products in high demand. For example, the price at the 
traditional market was between L. 200 to L. 250 per quintal [100kg] of potatoes; we 
reached at some point an average of L. 350 as a minimum, and under very fortunate 
market schemes, a farmer can get between L. 450 to L 500 depending on the quality of 
your product. 

 
Advocacy for Temporary Mobility Permits 
With the interruption of public transport, agricultural producers lost opportunities and market 
power (F1, F5, F10). To mobilize during mandatory lockdowns, FPOs were responsible for 
advocating and requesting government permits that allowed producers to participate in 
agricultural marketing as long as specific biosafety standards were followed. F5 assured, “The 
association to which I belong was one of the first to obtain a safe-conduct [permit] to mobilize 
without restriction. That was a great help, especially to get our product out there.” L2 added: 

One of the priority things at the beginning of the pandemic was the food that was 
already on its way out... what we did was coordinate with the checkpoints [police 
inspection stations] to find out how we could haul those fruits and vegetables; because 
police officers were there to prevent us from entering with a large truck, fearing that 
they could be contaminated. 

 
Although there was permission from the government to mobilize, there was no transportation. 
So, the FPOs offered transportation to their members to collect the harvest and take it to 
authorized marketing points (F5, F8, F11). 
 
Agricultural, Financial, and Food Aid Packages 
Food, biosafety kits, agricultural inputs, and money were some items members mentioned 
receiving from FPOs during the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders (F1, F3-4, F8, F13, F15). For 
example, L3 said:  

We gave out groceries to our members to help them a little during those rough days. In 
addition, concerned with the existing food security issues, we deliver vegetables, corn, 
and bean seeds so that the members can produce and have food easily available; we 
look for food they could produce in their backyards. 

 
Also, FPOs requested aid from several entities, including governments, non-profits, and civil 
society organizations, to assist their members better (L1-4). Also, FPOs used some of their 
funding to provide money to members who needed to pay for emergency expenses (L2, L4). 
 
 
 
 
 

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Emotional Support 
FPOs implemented recreational activities and offered services to improve their members' 
moods and emotional states. For example, L3 said:  

We evaluated the situation in other parts of the country; people had nothing to do, felt 
depressed, and in extreme cases, committed suicide...We to kept members busy with 
various productive activities, such as raising animals, gardening, and other virtual 
training opportunities. 

 
In addition, FPOs helped their members find medical attention when needed (L3, F14), and 
facilitated access to at-home resources for self-care (L1-4). 
 
How effective were the coping mechanisms implemented by the producer associations as 
perceived by their members? 
FPOs’ representatives agreed that their members are prepared to cope with difficult situations. 
They mentioned that members have learned to be resilient and withstand eventual 
unforeseeable events through training and teamwork. L3 affirmed, “Our members are trained 
to create alternative solutions by learning and taking precautions... especially taking into 
account the conditions of our country.” Members attributed their preparedness and response 
capacity to the COVID-19 pandemic to their membership in FPOs. For example, F8 said:  

The association made me not feel the pandemic. They supported us at all times; for 
example, they came to our houses and gave us food, which helped us not to starve. We 
are so very grateful for what they did. 

 
Members felt constant support from the FPOs, primarily through the FPOs’ efforts managing 
permits from local authorities and business transactions during the most challenging COVID-19 
pandemic. F7 assured:  

The most complicated thing was accessing a market...and even more so if it is a 
traditional market where I have to deliver products every week of the year... I cannot 
meet those requirements, but because I belong to the association, I always had access 
to the market during the pandemic.  

 
FPOs’ members did not perceive support from other institutions and highlighted the lack of 
support from the national government (F5, F8, F13). For example, F3 said, "So far, there has 
been no support for our area [community] from another institution; we have only had the 
association's support." FPOs’ members acknowledged using previous training and materials the 
FPOs provided to face the COVID-19 pandemic (F1, F5, F8, F12). Preventing the spread of 
COVID-19 was pursued by FPOs members due to the information and encouragement received 
from the FPOs (F6, F9, F10, F16). Furthermore, most members perceived that they generated 
enough income to support their families due to the highly effective coping mechanisms 
implemented by the FPO they affiliated with (F5-6, F8-10, F13, F15).  
 
 
 

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How have members contributed to the stability of the associations during the COVID-19 
pandemic? 
FPOs’ representatives considered that despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their 
business operations, FPOs remain stable with no risk of failure. L3 affirmed, "Despite the 
association not working at 100% capacity, we made all possible efforts not to close our 
activities. Today, we have returned to normality. We are on a good run now [good situation]." 
Despite decreased demand from agricultural markets during the first months of the pandemic, 
most producer associations (n = 3) managed to release products held in inventory. For example, 
L1 said:  

The demand for our products decreased, but despite that, we sold the product later on 
and were able to hold on to them for a couple of days and sold them later even for not 
the highest price, but it was not a total loss. 

 
Furthermore, the regular commercial activity maintained by the FPOs helped stabilize income 
and increased chances for improvement. For example, L2 mentioned, "Maybe there was a 
decrease in revenue, but there was no risk for the association to be closed or go out of 
business. As time passes, things return to normal; therefore, the association is doing so too." 
On the other hand, three FPOs representatives affirmed that stability depends mainly on the 
commitment and engagement of members maintained with the FPOs. L4 commented, "The 
current situation of the association is because each member maintained pre-established 
production requirements throughout the pandemic." Members' engagement was amplified by 
how relevant and beneficial they perceived the benefits and support they received throughout 
their FPOs’ membership (F4, F12, F5, F16). In addition, FPOs’ representatives stated that 
members prefer to market their products with the association regardless of the price. Members 
corroborated this sentiment since F8 said: 

I would not sell to anyone else even if another buyer comes and wants to pay me more 
because another buyer is not going to give me the benefits that the association offers 
us, such as fertilizers and some things for the home, so you cannot let them down 
because we lose. 

 
At the time of this study, representatives of three FPOs had not registered any member 
withdrawals due to the COVID-19 pandemic; surprisingly, the relations between FPOs and their 
members have been strengthened during the pandemic (L1, L2, L3, L4). F8 assured: 

We communicated with other members and with the association during the pandemic. 
Therefore, I feel the relationship between me and others in the organization is great. 
Moreover, we have become more united due to the COVID-19 pandemic because we 
had many more group activities and learning experiences together and overcame a lot. 

 
Some members withdrew from one of the FPOs due to disagreements with the FPOs’ sanctions 
received for non-compliance with production and performance standards and lack of trust in 
their leaders' initiatives (L4). The representative of this last FPO (L4) mentioned: 

Some members left the association because they were upset because we were not able 
to buy their agricultural products during the first couple of weeks of the COVID-19 

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pandemic… but this is out of our hands since, as an association, we depend on what the 
market requests. We are only the marketing channel. 

 
Despite losing some members during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FAO continues and presents 
good prospects for recovery and permanence (L4). 
 

Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations 
 

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture and rural households were primarily 
negative, generally causing losses in production, employment, market opportunities, and 
purchasing power (Iese et al., 2021). In western Honduras, producer associations modified their 
operations and implemented different practices to assist their members during the health 
crisis. The results of this study support the literature that describes the potential of producer 
associations to improve their members' productivity and economic conditions (Bebbington, 
2019). Nevertheless, formalizing the response of FPOs to an emergency, such as the COVID-19 
pandemic, takes work due to the complexity of setting, monitoring, and achieving collective 
standards (Hellin et al., 2009). However, the experiences of the FPOs' members indicate how 
these formally organized groups continued their agricultural production and marketing 
activities. Members of the FPOs in this study were satisfied with their association's 
performance. They affirmed that membership was essential to generate and provide income for 
their families during the pandemic. 
 
Many producer associations fail due to the inability to meet the needs of their members 
(Hernández-Espallardo et al., 2013), resulting in a decline in member commitment and trust 
(Trebbin, 2014). FPOs in western Honduras have demonstrated the ability to assist their 
members during unexpected events by implementing focused and inclusive response 
mechanisms. They cultivated the trust and commitment of their members, which was 
demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic when members chose to market their products 
with FPOs, despite higher available prices. Similarly, the continuity and stability of FPOs, as 
perceived by their representatives, were due to the commitment of their members. The 
evidence found in this study aligns with FICA, which establishes how FPOs function as 
intermediaries between their members and other social and commercial entities, such as 
governments, authorities, and markets; some of those connections were instrumental during 
the months of isolation, even if members were not able to recognize them (Ekepu et al., 2017). 
 
Although producer associations and their benefits for members are not a new topic in the 
literature, the transformation of agricultural systems worldwide caused by the COVID-19 
pandemic brought new challenges to producer associations through which they demonstrated 
their potential to serve members before and during other unforeseeable events (Workie et al., 
2020). Therefore, identifying support and survival mechanisms can generate valuable 
information to strengthen formalized social networks in Honduras and similar economic 
environments. 
 

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The findings of this study demonstrated that economic and social motivations drive members' 
commitment to their FPOs and motivations to join an organization. Access to markets for high-
value crops necessitates large-scale operations, which can be accomplished through farmer's 
groups and associations. Associations are also important intermediaries for governmental and 
non-governmentally funded projects and donations. Furthermore, associations, as seen, form 
an important social network of familiar and neighbors to deal with externalities. 
 
Although factors motivating participation are location-based and context-bound, gender-
responsive collective action could strengthen local agricultural systems (Davis et al., 2017). 
Finally, although the results of this study are mainly relevant to the Honduran context, they 
bring to light how FPOs’ intermediation could potentially benefit other initiatives, particularly 
those in which FPOs could serve as allies for public and private entities seeking to promote 
changes at the community level. Literature has demonstrated that community change would be 
more successful when targeted individuals trust the entity disseminating new knowledge or 
innovations (Nanyonjo et al., 2012). 
 

Acknowledgements 
 
We thank the Honduran farmer-producer organizations for their generosity and collaboration 
with this research project. Additionally, the Nippon Foundation funded this study through 
Zamorano University in Honduras. 
 
Author Contributions: J. X. Ullaguari– conceptualization, methodology, validation, investigation, 
data curation, analysis, writing-original draft, review & editing; R. Landaverde - 
conceptualization, methodology, validation, investigation, data curation, analysis, writing-
original draft, review & editing; A. Sanders - conceptualization, methodology, validation, 
investigation, data curation, analysis, writing-original draft, review & editing; A. Zickafoose- 
writing-original draft, review & editing. 
 

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