Posts Tagged: carnival

By: Ann Savage, CNFA Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer and Business Consultant with Savage Enterprises International, and Victoria Treski, CNFA F2F Program Coordinator

This article is a contribution to a four-week blog series celebrating 30 years of USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program.

From November 16 – December 11, 2015, partners of the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program are sharing their knowledge and experience in providing volunteer technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. Closely aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, the F2F Program works to support inclusive agriculture sector growth, facilitate private sector engagement in the agriculture sector, enhance development of local capacity, and promote climate-smart development. Targeted volunteer assignments address host-led priorities to expand economic growth in ways which increase incomes and improve access to nutritious food. This blog series aims to capture and share the experiences of hosts, volunteers, and program partners. 

The Congo River is a source of life in the northwest region of Angola, sustaining a variety of agricultural activities and a burgeoning fishing industry. Citizens of this region are hard-working and dedicated, striving to enhance their livelihoods through a process of continual learning, and passing along acquired knowledge to others in the community. In 2013, a group of these farmers from the Municipality of Soyo, Angola established a cooperative named CAPIPAZ. In English, CAPIPAZ stands for Cooperative Agro-Livestock Industry for Fishermen’s Friends of Zaire -a fitting name given the organization’s relationship with both the agriculture and fishing industries. The cooperative collectively farms on 2,385 hectares, growing a variety of vegetables ranging from tomatoes and onions to sesame and okra. The cooperative also maintains a symbiotic relationship with local fisherman, whereby the Board of CAPIPAZ purchases and provides fishing materials to fishermen in return for fish they catch that the Board then sells at the market.

In addition to a booming farming operation, CAPIPAZ members own a restaurant and hotel, both of which provide additional sources of revenue.  As their first venture into the tourism industry, CAPIPAZ members were anxious to ensure that their business operations not only succeeded but had room to grow.  However, the cooperative lacked management training, as well as an agreed upon strategic focus and formal business plan.   After identifying these internal challenges, CAPIPAZ requested assistance from CNFA to work with cooperative members to enhance their business capacity by building their technical skillsets and guiding them to develop a business strategy.

(continued below)

By: The Farmer-to-Farmer Team, Washington D.C. and Malawi

This article is a contribution to a four-week blog series celebrating 30 years of USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program.

From November 16 – December 11, 2015, partners of the Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program are sharing their knowledge and experience in providing volunteer technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. Closely aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, the F2F Program works to support inclusive agriculture sector growth, facilitate private sector engagement in the agriculture sector, enhance development of local capacity, and promote climate-smart development. Targeted volunteer assignments address host-led priorities to expand economic growth in ways which increase incomes and improve access to nutritious food. This blog series aims to capture and share the experiences of hosts, volunteers, and program partners.

Meet the Chalera Mushroom Farmers’ Cooperative

Established in 2003, the Chalera Mushroom Farmers’ Cooperative is located just outside of Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital.  The cooperative, comprised of 29 women and six men, had been experiencing difficulties in cultivating mushrooms for sale and consumption since its inception, due to inadequate growing methods and a lack of access to quality resources. Despite these challenges, the members of the Chalera Cooperative refused to abandon their goals of developing a successful mushroom cooperative, and turned to Farmer-to-Farmer for assistance with learning new methods of cultivation to improve their operations.

CNFA responded to their request by sending Matthew Cleaver, a seasoned CNFA volunteer and mushroom expert, on an assignment to equip cooperative members with the skills needed to improve their mushroom production.  With more than 15 years in the mushroom industry, Mr. Cleaver has an impressive record of successfully introducing new technologies to mushroom farmers, enabling them to increase their yields through improved production practices.

Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Addresses Challenges to Production

Mr. Cleaver worked with the Chalera members to find solutions to the challenges they faced, including inadequate chemical pasteurization methods and a lack of proper growing spaces.  He trained the members on chemical, heat, and natural pasteurization methods, which are vital in reducing any microscopic “competitors,” allowing the fungi to thrive. He also made recommendations to the group on how to transform their grow-house into a mushroom growing haven by adding clear plastic over the windows and roof to allow light and heat in, keeping the space at an ideal temperature for mushroom cultivation. The cooperative members pictured here are working to implement one of the key lessons from their training: reducing the size of corn husk pieces which are used as a base for mushroom cultivation, which helps the growing fungi absorb more water.

(continued below)