Introduction
AFA as an international alliance of farmer organisations in Asia was formally formed in February 2004 with the conduct of the first General Assembly of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development or AFA. A second general assembly was held last April 2006.     

Objectives
The ASEAN is fasttracking its regional integration processes and is bent on forging bilateral arrangements with countries such as USA, Korea, China, and Japan. Farmers in these covered countries  should be involved in the analysis and in the formulation of proposals and measures to ensure that small men and women farmers are benefitting from these agreements . Also,  the ASEAN is in the process of formulating a Charter . AFA should continue to ensure that pro-small farmer provisions are enshrined in the Charter. 

AFA has just crafted its strategic aims till 2010. It should make best efforts to achieve these strategic aims, which include:
- To influence key national and inter-governmental regional and international decision-making bodies on common agricultural issues affecting members  
- Provide programs and services for members in the area of alternative trade, agrarian reform and issue advocacy
- Build strong, capable, credible, far-reaching national farmers' organisations
- Strengthen AFA's organisational systems and structures

Organisational structure
AFA is an international confederation of national farmers organisations in Asia.
AFA is a formal organisation;
- with 9 members (SorKorPor, Thailand, PAKISAMA, Philippines, Vietnam Farmers’ Union, Farmer and Nature Net, Cambodia, Aliansi Petani Indonesia, Taiwan Wax Apple Development Association, Korean Advanced Farmers’ Federation, South Korea, Best Farmers’ Association, South Korea, Ainokai, Japan).
- with elected Executive Committee members , with a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer; with the Executive Committee meeting regularly for the past four years .
The NGO AsiaDhrra is presently performing secretarial tasks on behalf of AFA, guided and steered by the AFA execom existing out of a chair and two vice chairs, being elected representatives from AFA affiliates.  

Relations
AFA is strongly linked to AsiaDhrra, it’s initiating NGO partner. Furthermore AFA has working relations with IFAD, FAO, the World NGO Forum and Agriterra. In the national arena AFA’s members are linked to Governments and the NGO sector.