Minnesota Ag Connection - Resilience in Face of Conflict, Climate Change Top Meeting

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Resilience in Face of Conflict, Climate Change Top Meeting
Minnesota Ag Connection - 12/10/2019

NCBA CLUSA hosted the Farmer-to-Farmer Implementing Partners Meeting for the first time at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The annual event is an opportunity for Farmer-to-Farmer program implementers to connect and learn with each other about best practices and how to adapt to challenges in the field.

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Farmer-to-Farmer leverages the expertise of volunteers from U.S. farms, educational institutions, cooperatives, private agribusinesses and nonprofit farmer organizations to respond to the local needs of host-country farmers and organizations. The program aims to generate sustainable economic growth in the agricultural sector through voluntary technical assistance in developing countries.

The meeting covered a range of topics for Farmer-to-Farmer implementers, including challenges to interventions, agriculture-led growth, food systems, resilience and more.

The group also drilled down on roadblocks facing the program, such as political fragility in project countries, rising hunger due to conflict and climate change, an increase in shocks and stresses, and an unprecedented humanitarian need around the globe. In response, implementers are working swiftly to adapt and respond. Farmer-to-Farmer programs rely on strong local partners to facilitate system change and drive inclusive growth. Through this approach, they are able to strengthen communities through sustainable development.

Representatives from ACDI/VOCA, Catholic Relief Services, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), Grameen Foundation, International Executive Service Corps (IESC), Land O'Lakes Venture37, NCBA CLUSA, Partners of the Americas, and Winrock International attended the partners' meeting.

Since it was authorized by Congress in the 1985 Farm Bill, Farmer-to-Farmer has sent more than 19,000 volunteers to 112 countries, providing technical assistance to over 1.5 million people.

Look for new Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer opportunities coming from NCBA CLUSA in 2020. NCBA CLUSA recruits volunteers from a variety of fields beyond farming and agribusiness, including marketing, financial planning, cooperative development, engineering, English language instruction and more.

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