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Recognizing the importance of rural institutions to socio-economic development: 2012 The International Year of Cooperatives.

Posted by Beate Stalsett Monday, October 31, 2011 1 comments

2012 has been declared by the United Nations (UN) as the International Year of Cooperatives. However, it all starts today on the 31st October, when the year is officially launched at the UN Headquarters in New York.


At the launch the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) will host a side event that focuses on agricultural cooperatives and their importance for food security. The event will be webcast and you can tune in at 1.15 pm (GMT -4).


Cooperatives are business enterprises owned and controlled by the members they serve. The difference between cooperatives and other types of businesses lies in the importance of keeping the balance between pursuing profit and meeting the interests of the community and their members. According to ILO cooperatives provide 100 million jobs worldwide. Agricultural cooperatives are important in supporting small agricultural producers and marginalized groups because they create sustainable rural employment, and they facilitate access to markets, food and productive assets. They also help them influence policy and decision making.

For the International Year of Cooperatives and beyond, the three Rome-based United Nations agencies (FAO, IFAD and WFP) will continue to raise awareness and support rural institutions, farmer and producer associations, and cooperatives.

For more information: Agricultural Cooperatives: Paving the way for Food Security and Rural Development.

Photo credit: ©IFAD/Radhika Chalasani

Africa's small farmers - a change of thinking

Posted by Roxanna Samii Thursday, October 27, 2011 1 comments

by Mohamed Beavogui


As an African but also a development practitioner, I've seen a lot of good ideas and best intentions left broken and long forgotten in farmers' fields.

In so many cases, the reason is simple. One idea, one piece of technology on its own seldom addresses the multiplicity of problems facing the average smallholder farmer struggling to make a living on a small patch of land in a remote corner of his or her country. Yet too often, that's exactly what people look for - an easy fix or a single solution.

In my experience, both in the field and now as the Director of the Western and Central Africa Division at IFAD, what makes a real difference is something more fundamental - it's how we look at Africa's smallholder farmers.

Do we see them as victims - poverty stricken women and men trapped in cycles of subsistence farming - or as potential entrepreneurs struggling to run small businesses in places were basic tools such as finance, technology, training and access to markets are unavailable? It's my belief that we need a paradigm shift in the way we think - one that takes us away from old ideas of African agriculture which rely on basic farming practices and on government and donor handouts and, instead, focuses on creating a vibrant rural economy built on establishing the right business environment for small farmers.

A woman I know in Ghana is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Her name is Faustina Sayki. She runs a successful cassava processing centre in a small rural town. She employs 34 women and produces about 30 tonnes of cassava flour, known as gari, a week. Her customers are in the US, UK, Nigeria and Mali. She also extracts starch from cassava and sells it to local textile and pharmaceutical factories. Many describe her as a national success story.

So how did a poor cassava farmer in a remote community build a successful cassava-processing factory? A business environment was created that gave her a chance, that's how.

Through the IFAD-supported Roots and Tubers Project Improvement and Marketing Programme she received support she needed to respond directly to market opportunities. For example, she received training that helped her strengthen her entrepreneurial skills and business savvy; and she had access to expert research and adapted technologies that helped her improve her factory's efficiency and produce a higher quality and quantity of gari.

With a sound business plan and a savings history, she was able to access private equity from a rural bank. Together, these things enabled Faustina to enter the market with a well-priced, reliable, high-quality product that is now in demand. Her story suggests what's possible once we put away old notions and start looking at small farming in Africa as a business opportunity.

Originally posted on World Challenge blog

Betting on llamas

Posted by Greg Benchwick Wednesday, October 26, 2011 0 comments


In Bolivia’s cold and harsh altiplano, llamas, alpacas and vicuñas are big business. Through the IFAD-funded Camelid Valorization Programme (better known to locals as Proyecto VALE), ranchers are increasing their incomes, protecting the environment and transforming their lives thanks to improved management practices of these loveable little creatures.

Videos
Learn more with videos from project participants (en español).

Viceministro de Desarrollo Rural de Bolivia Víctor Hugo Vásquez - Proyecto VALE
En esta entrevista el Viceministro de Desarrollo Rural de Bolivia, Víctor Hugo Vásquez, destaca los logros y desafíos del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE). Este proyecto está destinado a mejorar las condiciones productivas de los microempresarios pobres del sector de los camélidos en el Altiplano andino. Su principal objetivo es mejorar el acceso de estos productores —en particular, mujeres y jóvenes— a recursos productivos esenciales como el crédito, la asistencia técnica y el conocimiento, que les permitan incrementar sus rendimientos y mejorar sus ingresos. Además, el proyecto busca influir en las políticas públicas nacionales a fin de que incorporen la economía de camélidos en las estrategias de reducción de la pobreza rural.

Testimonios Directos – Ide Fatima de Ayllu Mimani (Proyecto VALE Bolivia)
Ide Fatima de Ayllu Mimani es usuaria del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE). En este testimonio directo, ella explica su emprendimiento de llamas.

Testimonios Directos - Gervasio Mimani (Proyecto VALE Bolivia)
Gervasio Mimani es usuario del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE). En este testimonio directo explica su emprendimiento de llamas y sus esperanzas para el futuro.

Testimonios Directos – Calzados Arriba (Proyecto VALE Bolivia)
En este testimonio, un usuario del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE), nos explica como los calzados se han convertido en mecanismo para salir de la pobreza.

Testimonios Directos - Patricia Ramírez Nuñez, 23 (Proyecto VALE Bolivia)
Patricia Ramírez Nuñez es usuaria del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE). En este testimonio directo, ella explica su emprendimiento de turismo y destaca los cambios en términos de equidad de género que han visto en los últimos años en Bolivia.

Testimonios Directos - Marcos Sebastian Ramírez Nuñez (Turismo Sostenible en Bolivia)
Marcos Sebastian Ramírez Nuñez es usuario del Proyecto de Apoyo a la Valorización de la Economía Campesina de Camélidos (VALE). En este testimonio directo, el universitario explica su emprendimiento de turismo.

All photos and videos ©IFAD/Greg Benchwick

Lila Downs – Reverence, Hope, Change

Posted by Greg Benchwick Monday, October 24, 2011 0 comments



Mexico’s favourite singer-songwriter dishes on development, gender, indigenous issues, peace and music
Lila Downs is a Grammy-award winner, Academy Award nominee, singer, songwriter and activist. Her songs tap the heart of indigenous Mexican traditions, also looking to world beats and pop to create an effervescence message of reverence, hope and change.

In this videocast, we interview Lila Downs on indigenous issues, violence, music and culture in Latin America. Her frank and incisive answers provide a unique glimpse into contemporary trends in rural development, gender equality and indigenous rights. Learn more about Lila at www.liladowns.com.

Photos and music courtesy Lila Downs.
Photo credits:
Lila Downs Turquoise - ©Fernando Aceves
Lila Lagrima de Maiz - ©Luna Maran
Lila Pensando - ©Elena Pardo
Metate - ©Ricardo Trabulsi

All other photos ©IFAD/Greg Benchwick.

KLM5 Takes Off at DA-BSWM Grounds

Posted by lando Wednesday, October 19, 2011 1 comments

GAME ON! Gathered in the grounds through the bujong call, KLM5 opens with a bang with representatives from DA, DAR, DTI, UN Women, and IFAD.

The 5th Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM5) officially opened on October 19, 2011, in the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM) grounds, Quezon City. KLM5 is a two-day activity

DA Undersecretary Joel Rudinas and DAR Undersecretary Rosalina Bistoyong led the ribbon-cutting ceremony with IFAD-Philippines Country Programme Officer Yolando Arban. Also present in the ceremony are DAR-Region 10 Director Felix Aguhob, DAR-Region 13 Director Faisal Banduay, UN Women M&E Officer Loren Umali, RuMEPP Director Jerry Clavesillas, DAR-FAPSO Officer Susan Perez, and DAR Director Susan Leones.

Booths showcasing products and various information materials were opened to participants. Exhibitors are composed of government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and IFAD-funded projects such as the RaFPEP, CHARMP2, RUPES, CURE, NMCIREMP, and RuMePP.

Participants of the event expressed excitement over the event and to the products that exhibitors offer. Aside from the booths, entries for the photo and t-shirt design contests are displayed. A photo booth is also available for the participants to take quirky shots wearing different costumes. (Written by Sharleene Kay Alayan, RaFPEP/Photo courtesy of Patrick Depolio, CHARMP2)

Knowlege Products Lined up for KLM5

Posted by lando 0 comments

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ALL SET. Creative juices can help a lot in decorating the sixteen (16) booths for the KLM5 to showcase knowledge products during the event.

Exhibitors flocked at the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM) grounds, Quezon City, Philippines on October 18, 2011 to set up booths for the 5th Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM5). The KLM5 will be held on October 19-20, 2011 at the BSWM Convention Hall.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) organizes the KLM yearly. For this year, KLM5 adopts the theme “Gender and Youth: Innovative Waves in Rural Development,” which aims to rally the support of different sectors on gender equality and to involve youth in rural development.

Activities during the two-day activity are forums on gender and development, career-matching sessions for youth participants, photo and t-shirt design contests, and product exhibit booths.

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Government agencies, NGOs, academic institutions, and IFAD-funded projects such as the RaFPEP, CHARMP2, RUPES, CURE, Philippines Farmers Forum, RTC-CIP, NMCIREMP, and RuMePP compose the exhibitors. They shall showcase not just products for selling but also information for sharing such as scholarships, career offerings and opportunities, and backgrounder of agencies involved in the event.

The ingress activity or setting up of booths was conducted at 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Exhibitors expressed enthusiasm on the main event.

Text Box: FINAL TOUCHES. Ms. Angelica Barlis of the CIP arranges the potato products and information materials they shall be showcasing at KLM5.

“We’re vying for the best booth!,” Ms. Grace Aquillo of National Irrigation Administration said.

See more photos of KLM5: Ingress at IFAD Philippines Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276230282409427.75188.116526121713178&type=1

Snapshot - Budding Talents

Posted by Greg Benchwick Tuesday, October 18, 2011 0 comments


Nicaragua's PRODESEC project puts area youth in the drivers' seat