UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:	State Department

Country:	United States of America

Name of Focal Point:	Hiram Larew

Initiative Title:	Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteers for Technology Transfer, Market Chain Development and Strengthening Local Organizations

Internet links:	http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/agriculture/farmer_to_farmer.htm

Scope:	Global

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Lead Institution:	U.S. Agency for International Development

Stakeholders/Partners:	Agricultural producers and businesses in developing and middle-income countries.

Relevent issues:	- Food security and sustainable agriculture - Enhancing agricultural productivity through adequate and sustainable inputs - Community-based and indigenous approaches to food production - Diversifying agricultural production systems

Objectives/Challenges:

The John Ogonowski Farmer-to-Farmer (FTF) Program transfers knowledge and expertise of U. S. agricultural producers and businesses to developing and middle-income countries, and emerging democracies. Since 1985, volunteers have worked with a range of organizations, involving rural cooperatives and producer organizations, to build local institutions and linkages to resolve local problems.

Currently, eight institutions administer the FTF Program providing volunteer services in 40 core countries. The Programs work closely with overseas USAID Missions and local partner organizations, supporting a variety of programs aimed to reduce poverty and stimulate sustainable and broad-based economic growth. The FTF Program goes beyond simply placing volunteers on an individual basis and focuses on development of specific market chains for which over-all impact can be evaluated. Programs build institutions and transfer technology and management expertise to link small farmers with markets that exploit comparative advantages in production, processing, and marketing. Major areas of program focus include: horticulture and high value crops, income diversification, dairy and livestock, producer organizations, financial services, marketing and processing, and natural resources management.

Lessons Learned:

Transferring technical knowledge and expertise to individuals and institutions through volunteers can help build local capacities and introduce new productive technologies and innovations in rural economic institutions. Measurable impacts on incomes and productivity are possible in a short-time period, even with targeted short term volunteer assistance, if assignments are well planned. Frequently, volunteer technical assistance is needed at multiple levels of a production-value chain to achieve impact at the rural community level.

Summary:

Key Results -

Since inception, program evaluations have consistently found that the program provides high quality services from volunteers, leveraging over $34 million worth of volunteer time contributions to development efforts. Over 10,000 volunteers have contributed their time and energies to aid approximately one million farmer families (representing about five million people), who have been direct beneficiaries of the Program.