Growing Knowledge & Building Partnerships

By Allison Greene, F2F Volunteer in April 2023 About the Assignment:  Allison Greene supported the Asociacion de Productores de Olopa (APOLO) as a Business Development Expert. Ms. Greene trained APOLO staff on how to forecast sales, maintain inventory, conduct basic accounting, and aspects of operating a small business. Ms. Greene has professional experience in private sector consulting, business development, implementation of food product innovations, and project management. I traveled as a Small Business Operations expert to support APOLO, a coffee association and café, in Olopa, Chiquimula, Guatemala. My assignment was to provide training on basic accounting practices, inventory control, sales forecasting, and reviewing various profit scenarios for the newly opened café. Over the course of my two weeks with the APOLO team, I had the opportunity to witness them in action in the office and the café, which better informed my training materials and helped me create unique systems just f

By Andrew Blunk, F2F Volunteer in March 2022 This blog was taken with permission from his blog on YOOMBEEKINBARACHUUGUBACHUU . It has been edited for length. About the Assignment:   Andrew Blunk supported CV Farms as a Hydroponics Expert. Mr. Blunk assessed the operations of CV Farms, focusing on yield and shelf life of their crops. Mr. Blunk is a Plant Science Consultant for Grateful Greens Microgreens in Vermont. A little history about hydroponics in Guyana. In 2005 there was a bad flood in Guyana that caused crop failures across the country and 40% of the country to lose personal possessions and property 2005 Georgetown flood – Wikipedia . Consequently, the agricultural sector looked to options that could withstand extreme rainfall events. This is pretty common everywhere in the world currently- farmers are very aware/experiencing that climate change is affecting weather, especially rain, and are looking at how to grow food when the rainy season is less predictable. Less predictable

By Dieter Wittkowski, F2F Volunteer in April 2023 About the Assignment: Dieter Wittkowski supported Centro de Educación y Promoción Rural (CEPROR) as a Microfinance Expert. Mr. Wittkowski trained administrative personnel in financial management of small loans. Mr. Wittkowski has over 20 years of experience with the Inter-American Development Bank in Latin America.  What does microcredit have to do with farming? Well, as with many things related to finance and economics, it depends. In the Dominican Republic (DR), the agricultural sector is closely linked with access to financial services. Small-scale farmers, productive cooperatives and producers’ associations and their family members often need small and appropriately designed loan and savings products to enhance their productivity and access to markets. While there is a plethora of existing banks and microfinance organizations in the DR, many rural families still have difficulty in obtaining a loan that meets their needs. My voluntee