The IPC is an autonomous, self-managed global network of more than 45 people’s movements and NGOs involved with at least 800 organizations throughout the world. The IPC serves as a mechanism for information and training on issues regarding food sovereignty. It promotes forums in which PMs and other CSOs involved in food and agriculture issues can debate, articulate their positions and build their relationships at national, regional and global levels. It facilitates dialogue and debate between civil society actors, governments and other stakeholders at all levels. 

It is not a centralized structure and does not claim to represent its members. It does not aspire to constitute an all-inclusive civil society interface with FAO and other institutions, but is rather a space for self-selected CSOs which identify with the food sovereignty agenda adopted at the 2002 forum.

The IPC’s membership includes constituency focal points (organizations representing small farmers, fisher folk, pastoralists, indigenous peoples, agricultural workers); regional focal points (PMs or NGO networks responsible for diffusion of information and consultation in specific regions); and thematic focal points (networks with particular expertise on priority issues). It does not have a formal statute or legal identity. It has, however, adopted an agreed consultation and decision-making procedure, including an annual meeting. It periodically establishes working groups to collect information and develop positions on specific themes. Such groups currently exist on agrarian reform, agricultural biodiversity/models of production in a context of climate change, artisanal fisheries, food sovereignty in conflict situations, and global governance of food and agriculture. A minimal IPC liaison office based in Rome acts as the international secretariat of the network. The IPC has given particular attention to interacting with FAO, given this agency’s role as focal point for food and agriculture within the UN system. 

The principles of this network of organizations are easily listed: its operation is based on autonomy and on self-organisation; the structure is based upon a network system that avoids centralization; it facilitates the emergence of social representations without aiming to directly represent any specific organization nor any specific social sector; therefore it does not replace or preclude any direct relationship between individual organizations and FAO, or other international institutions.