Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

Written by F2F volunteer Dean Wheeler My assignment was to collect relevant information on coffee and cacao diversification products, and to present this information in sessions organized by SENA. All activities in-country were organized by SENA, the National Learning Service, of Colombia. Everyone in SENA was extremely helpful, and made my stay very enjoyable. During the two weeks of this assignment, I presented information on present and future products which can be made from coffee and or cacao. There were four presentations to students, administrators, agronomists, and agroindustrial personnel. The number and type of questions asked indicated that the level of interest in this subject was high. As I have considerable experience in pineapple production, I was also asked to visit two pineapple plantings, and offered advice and information on this subject.  In Colombia, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts an increase in demand in food production, call...

Adapted from Annette Jackson One of Farmer-to-Farmer's major goals in Nicaragua is increasing the intake of dairy products among the rural populations.  Nicaragua is the largest producer of dairy in Central America but consumption is very low compared to other Central American countries. Increased milk consumption can combat problems with childhood malnutrition, as well as bolster the domestic sales of the local dairy industry. F2F volunteers have worked to surmount numerous challenges that are impeding increased consumption, such as affordability, availability, and personal preferences.  Large export profits keep domestic prices high, making it difficult for schools to stock milk instead of the cheaper and more popular soda options.  Educational and promotional campaigns have mainly focused on nutritional benefits of dairy consumption.  While dairy consumption has increased since 2012, it has still remained relatively low considering the levels of domestic product...

Arcelia Gallardo is a F2F volunteer currently working in Panama with chocolate makers affiliated with Partners of the Americas' EducaFuturo Program. Here is Arcelia's account of the the first few days on assignment! Cacao can grow from southern Mexico to Bolivia; Panamas humid, wet, tropical climate offers great conditions for growing the fruit. But in the world of chocolate and cocoa, Panama is a country that is rarely talked about, though its neighbors like Costa Rica and Venezuela receive a lot of attention. Prized cacao comes from Peru, Belize and Ecuador. Brazil has cities the size of small countries dedicated to growing cacao and Paris holds the largest chocolate show in the world, and the Swiss consume the most chocolate per person on the globe.  So where does that leave Panama? I am not sure. I hope that after my adventure with the women of Changuinola in the north of Panama, I will be able to better understand what role they want to hold in the global chain...

On October 16, people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger, fighting for the basic human right to food. While the world produces enough food to feed every person on the planet, one in nine people live with chronic hunger. Ending hunger is not just a moral imperative, but also a good investment for society. The cost to the global economy because of malnutrition is the equivalent of $3.5 trillion a year. Hunger leads to increased levels of global insecurity and environmental degradation. Fifteen years ago, the UN developed eight Millennium Development Goals, the first of which was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. Since then, 40 countries have been able to halve the proportion of people suffering from hunger. The Agriculture and Food Security Team at Partners of the Americas has been working on the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program for the last 24 years to decrease hunger and malnutrition in the Caribbean and Latin America...

Food sanitation demonstration Dianne Twete traveled to Huehuetengo, Santa Ana Guatemala on September 13 through September 25, 2015 to work with a group of women and provide them with the basics of Good Manufacturing Practices.  After a demonstration by the women on how they processed and packaged their peanuts, a number of recommendations were made to improve their levels of sanitation and hygiene to prevent food borne illness to the consumer.  Three new recipes where introduced and demonstrations were made, with the help of the women, for the purpose of providing a new product line, using their peanuts and peanut butter.  These women were gracious and eager to learn and  receive this new information. In honor of National Dessert Day, here's the recipe for peanut butter cookies that Ms. Twete used in Guatemala! Dianne Twete and the bakers Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients  Servings 24-36 Units US 1⁄2 cup butter 1⁄2 cup peanut butter 1...

The beginning of October signals the start of autumn in the  United States- temperatures drop, days get shorter, and pumpkin flavored treats come out in abundance.  However, according to crop experts, the expected amount of canned pumpkin could be off by as much as a third this year. Illinois grows about 90 percent of American pumpkins, but in June record rainfall washed away much of the crop.  Farmers predict that should be plenty of whole pumpkins through Halloween, but pumpkin pie lovers shouldn't wait until late November to stock up on the canned goods.  Unexpected weather anomalies can result in much more dire consequences than a lack of holiday pie.  Bad conditions disrupt crop yields every season, particularly in developing countries where farmers lack the technology to prepare or predict for unusual weather.  In March and April, 70 percent of the wheat, mustard and potato crop in India was lost to strong winds and rainfall during th...

This blog post was written by F2F volunteer Robert Spencer. The purpose of my assignment was to address meat quality assurance for small animal production. My strategy for doing the best possible job was to initially learn as much as possible about the current food industry situation in Haiti, identify opportunities for improvement, conduct relevant training, and then implement a quality training programs for as many parties along the food chain from farm to fork. My focus was on food security, food safety (including relevant HACCP practices), and economic development. Upon assessing the current situation for the food industry in Haiti I found there had been minimal advancements since my last visit three plus years ago. Good news is lots of opportunities for improvement. With proper implementation of best management practices, increased production, compliance with food safety practices from farm to fork, and support from relevant organizations, businesses, and agencies, economic...

Earlier this week, Peggy Carlson, Partners’ Vice President of Development Programs and Senior Director for Agriculture and Food Security, participated on a webcast panel to discuss improving agriculture and increasing access to nutrition in the developing world. Ms. Carlson and the other panel members touched on a number of topics including food waste and loss. The World Bank estimates that between 1/4 and 1/3 of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted (Figure 1). While the majority of food lost in developed countries is primarily due to consumer waste, food loss in developing countries – including our F2F core countries Haiti, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua – occurs during production, storage, and transport. Many of you know about F2F’s work over the past 24 years to reduce production-related losses (pests, diseases, etc.), but F2F also focuses on post-harvest handling, processing, and storing as well. For instance, in the last few years, F2F has ...