Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

2014 has been a productive year for Partners' Agriculture and Food Security (AFS) Unit! Under the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program, 78 volunteers traveled to eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to work with close to 40 producer groups, NGOs, universities, and other hosts. They provided training in areas as diverse as business plan development, honey harvesting, animal nutrition, marketing of organic products, and much more, and directly assisted over 6,000 people. Partners' Haiti Nutrition Security Program, funded by USAID/Haiti as part of their Feed the Future Initiative, has recruited and is providing support to 1,548 Mother Leaders who have been organized into 144 Care Groups. Each Mother Leader is then responsible for leading local neighborhood women’s clubs, through which nutrition counseling and promotional support are provided to an additional 13,898 young pregnant and lactating mothers of children under the age of five. As a result, the proje

Happy Holidays! During this season, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the dedicated volunteers, field staff, program collaborators, host organizations, funders and other supporters who have made the Partners of the Americas' Farmer-to-Farmer Program and the Haiti Nutrition Security Programs a success in 2014. Thank you and best wishes for 2015!   - the Agriculture and Food Security Team

Katherine Wingert, attending the  cheese fair in Managua. By Katherine Wingert Rising rates of soda and junk food consumption are commonplace in developing countries, and Nicaragua is no exception. While Nicaragua produces more dairy than any other country in Central America, Nicaraguan dairy consumption levels are very low. Some estimates put soda consumption at five times that of milk! With obesity on the rise in Nicaragua, particularly in the capital city of Managua, there is an increasing need for interventions to change dietary habits before they become an overwhelming burden. With this in mind, the Nicaraguan Dairy Sector Chamber ( CANISLAC),  with the support of Farmer-to-Farmer, is working on a new yogurt and milk consumption campaign that is geared toward promoting consumption in adolescents and mothers of young children. Because of my background in public health and behavior change, I was invited to spend three weeks with CANISLAC in October to support them in pl

Between July and December 2014, the Farmer-to-Farmer program in Guatemala had nine F2F volunteers build technical capacity in food safety, GAP certification, business and organizational development, artificial goat insemination, organic agricultural production, and many other topics. They look forward to what next year's volunteers will bring!

This blog post was written by Dan Krull who is currently in Haiti serving as an F2F volunteer in improved goat production. This is Mr. Krull's first F2F assignment. A typical leash-pastured goat in a small village. "Haiti is a diverse country with bright agricultural prospects. Many Haitians raise livestock, including goats [...] Goats are a vital source for protein, and as such, they fetch a good price at the market. They are also relatively hardy and can thrive in conditions that would be too stressful for other animals. You would think in the lush tropical landscape that is Haiti, the goats here would be fat and happy. On the contrary, many of them are thin and severely under conditioned. In addition, some are dying, quite suddenly, with little or no warning. I recently traveled to Haiti to find out why and to implement practices designed to minimize the frequency at which it happens in the future. With the help of F2F Haiti Country Coordinator Benito Jasmin and

   Photo taken by F2F volunteer (Nov. 2014): Fallen banana trees after a severe wind storm As the Conference on Climate Change in Lima comes to an end, Secretary John Kerry urged the world to think about the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture. He reports that the changing climate will reduce the production capacity of crops such as rice, maize, or wheat by two percent each decade. (See remarks  here ). This means millions of farmers around the world may face greater threats of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. However, Kerry notes, “ there is still time for us to come together as a global community . . . and every nation has a responsibility to do its part if we’re going to pass this test. ”    Photo taken by F2F volunteer (Nov. 2014): Flooding in Montecristi Partners of the Americas’ Farmer-to-Farmer program is taking strides to take this to heart in the Dominican Republic.  As a small island, the Dominican Republic is extremely vulnerable to the ef

Worm box used to raise black soldier fly larva and worms Let’s say you wanted to help rural farmers improve their food security by raising chickens and producing eggs, but the high cost of chicken feed would create dependency on outside vendors and limits profits. What if you could reduce feed cost, improve the chickens’ diet, and support locally sustainable systems? Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer, Patryk Battle, spent two weeks in Haiti in September to demonstrate how plant waste, grazing, raising black soldier fly larva, and vermiculture could do just this. Patryk worked with Royal Palm, a local organization that has a pilot demonstration plot and egg production site in Haiti. Due to the high cost of chicken feed, Royal Palm has sought technical assistance in identifying alternative chicken feed systems. These  alternative chicken feed systems  could not only enable farmers to generate more income, but also provide an environmentally sustainable solution to reduce

International Volunteer Day, started in 1985 by the United Nations, is an opportunity to celebrate all those who volunteer their time to make a difference in the world. Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer Program would like to thank all the excellent volunteers who have traveled to Latin America and the Caribbean to work with their counterparts to address agricultural and environmental issues. Changes and innovations have been made in a wide variety of technical areas, sales and income have increased, and natural resource management has improved. Giving your time has made a difference in the hemisphere! And we thank you. If you are interested in volunteering with the Farmer-to-Farmer Program, you can see open assignments here:  http://www.partners.net/partners/Volunteering.asp !

A big thank you to Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer, Wayne Burleson, for putting together this video on his recent assignment to teach organic input production in Guatemala! Enjoy!           

Thanksgiving is traditionally a day to give thanks for the yearly harvest. Because of the hard work and dedication of our Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers and in-country staff and partners, rural farmers throughout Latin America are thankful for being able to take strides towards a higher quality and more productive harvest. The staff at Partners of the Americas would also like to extend its gratitude to its F2F volunteers, funders, and the Partners network for helping to change the lives of others. The Farmer-to-Farmer program is crucial for providing people-to-people exchanges and promoting sustainable economic growth and development. Whether our volunteers work with dairy farmers in Nicaragua, beekeepers in Haiti, mushroom exporters in Guatemala, or climate change NGOs in the DR, they all play a key role in helping us improve the lives and food security of others. Partners' HQ Farmer-to-Farmer Team From left, Courtney Dunham, Peggy Carlson (Director), Adriana Robertson, and

Feed the Future, the US government's global hunger and food security initiative, recently highlighted some of their work around the world focused on young people and universities. Some of the stories featured include highlighting the work of a Cochran Fellow on improving dairy production in East Africa; promoting agribusiness opportunities for youth in Armenia; and sharing the work of Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia who are inspiring youth to think creatively about how to address environmental challenges. One important story focused on the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program. F2F leverages the expertise of volunteers from U.S. farms, land grant universities, cooperatives, private agribusiness firms and nonprofit farm organizations to respond to the local needs of host country farmers and organizations. The article - U.S. Farmers and Technical Experts Support the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders - shared how part of this effort includes supporting youth and university stu

In the Dominican Republic, helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change also means building the capacity of the next generation of leaders to promote and implement initiatives to reduce risk. Partners’ Farmer-to-Farmer program not only assists producers in the Yaque del Norte region, but also collaborates with local universities and environmental schools to achieve this goal. In October, F2F volunteer, Usha Palaniswamy, the current Associate Dean and a professor of math and science at Strayer Univesity in Fl orida, traveled to the DR to work with the Jarabacoa National School of the Environment and Natural Resources (Jarabacoa Environmental School). The objective of her assignment was to incorporate a greater focus on climate change into the current curricula, as well as introduce strategies for adaptation and mitigation. Usha meets with school faculty to discuss  incorporating climate change into the current curriculum The Jarabacoa Environmental School is loc

F2F volunteer, Doussou Traore,  with a CONAGAN representative Although Nicaragua has the greatest potential for livestock production in Latin America, the creation of value-added products is one of the lowest. This lack of added value reduces domestic and international competitiveness of the dairy and beef sector and limits the generation of employment and foreign currency. Furthermore, reduced incentives to implement sustainable, environmentally-conscious production methods have limited the ability of the livestock industry to penetrate more competitive niche markets with higher purchasing power.  Traore meets with  CANICARNE and CONAGAN representatives To support the Nicaraguan livestock industry in increasing their competitiveness and access to niche markets, Partners' F2F program is providing technical assistance to dairy and beef farmers in marketing and good agricultural practices. This month, F2F volunteer Ms. Doussou Traore traveled to Nicaragua to work with the

Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) field staff in Guatemala held a booth at the 6th National Convention on Organic Agriculture on Monday, October 6. F2F volunteer, Wayne Burleson, also attended the Conference to lead train the trainer (TOT) workshops on using local inputs to produce organic fertilizer. Stay tuned for updates from his trip report and see minute 6:29 of the video below for an interview (in Spanish) with our Country Director, José Cano.   

Partners' Farmer-to-Farmer program is currently recruiting volunteers for several coffee-related assignments in Haiti. Please take a look at the list of volunteer opportunities below! GPS & Mapping Specialist (November 2014 – February 2015: 2-3 weeks) The volunteer will assist host organizations and farmers in surveying their coffee production areas and assign GPS coordinates to them. These coordinates will provide a means to assist producers in deciding where to plant new seedlings for maximum harvest. This information will also be used to help farmers separate higher altitude beans from lower altitude ones in order to increase their economic gain. Coffee Soil Analyst (November 2014 – March 2015: 2 weeks) The purpose of this assignment is 1) to help coffee cooperatives and farmers understand the relationships between soil and coffee quality, and the relationship between soil and the sustainability of coffee trees on the plantations and 2) to inform best practices of c

The Dominican Republic has made significant progress in reversing the trend of slash and burn agriculture over the past 30 years. Numerous projects such as mini-greenhouse construction, mini-hydroelectric generator plants, and reforestation of previously farmed land on steep slopes are also allowing individuals and communities to improve their lives and health while reducing the impact on the environment. In the area of agroforestry, the Dominican Republic government is encouraging private landowners to reforest their land by ensuring that they will be able to harvest the trees at a later date. This has led to an increased amount of forested land in the country, and many of these plantations now have trees large enough for commercial harvest operations. However, as these plantations get older, the trees grow closer together and wood growth begins to slow. In order to maintain forest health, optimize growth, and increase carbon storage (to reduce greenhouse gases), trees with slower

Partners of the Americas' Agriculture and Food Security team wishes you all a Happy Halloween! We tied for third in the office costume competition. As much of our communication with our field staff involves Skype, we decided to be our favorite Skype emoticons! Enjoy the photos!

Traditionally, Partners of the Americas' Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program in Nicaragua has provided technical assistance at lower levels of the value chain; primarily in inputs/supplies, on-farm production, and processing. However, F2F provides technical assistance along all parts of a value chain. This is clear in Katherine Wingert's assignment. This month, Ms. Wingert traveled to Nicaragua to work with the Nicaraguan Chamber of the Dairy Sector (CANISLAC), the Nicaraguan Chamber of Beef Industry Exports (CANICARNE), and t he National Cattleman’s Commission of Nicaragua (CONAGAN)  to develop a national nutrition education campaign to increase domestic dairy and meat consumption in the country.  Making cheese in Nicaragua Livestock production in Nicaragua represents the country’s most important economic activity, accounting for 10% of GDP and 27% of total exports. However, consumption of meat and dairy and knowledge of the nutritional value of these products in rural p

F2F volunteer, Donna Bromfield (in the pink shirt), visits the Sukkot Farm in Exuma An abundance of agricultural produce can be found in the Bahamas, the majority of which goes to waste, as imported products continue to dominate the supermarket shelves. Therefore, the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC) identifies food processing as an area for development and a key for producers to sell locally and export internationally. The Bahamas also receives over 1.5 million tourists annually, which provides an ideal market to sell bottles of local jams, jelly, or sauces from small processors. However, there is currently no formal local or export protocol for these goods. Ms. Bromfield accompanies BAIC staff to visit the Garden of Eden Farm From June 15-28, 2014, food processing and food safety expert Donna Bromfield was the first Partners of the Americas’ Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer to travel to the Bahamas in 2014 on a flex assignment. During her assignment, Ms

Partners Farmer-to-Farmer Program has been active since 1991 and we recently collected some of our impacts over the years into an info-graphic. Check out the image to see the broad reach of the program and read some of the stories on this blog to fill in the details of how F2F has made a difference throughout the hemisphere (and beyond).

I was fortunate to spend two extended periods of time (March–April 2014) and (May–June 2014) with F2F Nicaragua. During these visits I engaged in two roles. First, I piloted the role of a longer-term (instead of the normal two-week assignment) F2F volunteer Organizational Development (OD) Consultant. In this capacity, I provided OD support to the Nicaragua staff in the identification and orientation of new ‘hosts’ using two F2F assessment tools (the baseline from and the Organizational Development Index). My second role was as a joint F2F volunteer and doctoral student from the University of Hull , where I worked in partnership with the Universidad Nacional Agrari a (UNA) to introduce and culturally adapt a systems thinking methodology that asked people to reflect on their micro and small businesses and identify areas of improvement based on their reflections.   F2F Volunteer Ellen Lewis provides training on Feminist Systems Thinking. Organizational Development The relatively