Agriculture
Farmer Field Business Schools and Village Savings and Loan Associations for promoting climate-smart agriculture practices: Evidence from rural Tanzania
How can stakeholders (e.g., governments and their extension services, private sector, policy makers and NGOs) effectively stimulate the adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices among small-scale farmers in developing countries? Changes in temperatures and rainfall lead to new risks of drought as well as erratic and excess rainfall (Ericksen et al., 2011; WMO, 2020). Many farmers experience climate change as a threat since crop yields that farmers needed to sustain themselves are adversely affected (IPCC, 2014; WMO, 2020). At the same time, the agricultural sector also contributes to climate change since agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide) are among the significant drivers of global warming (CCAFS, 2021). Read More...
Contributing to sustainable food production in Cuban municipalities – PROSAM.
The emphasis of the project is on strengthening the capacities of the Agricultural Municipal Delegations (DMA), the Soil Institute, and the producers, their productive forms, to promote local food self-sufficiency in the municipalities of Artemisa, Bejucal, Guanabacoa, Güines and Madruga located in the Provinces of Artemisa, Havana, and Mayabeque; as well as the promotion of sustainable environmental technologies and agro-ecologies and the mainstreaming of the gender practices approach that guarantees the full participation of women through equitable access and control of project resources in terms of inputs, equipment, and knowledge. Appropriating the work for gender equality in the daily life of the Soil Institute is essential for the coherence of its leadership with the different actors involved in the project. Read More...
Food Security and Gender Equality: A synergistic understudied symphony
As women keep feeding the world, we must give them the right space in our data collection methods and analysis to make the gaps they encounter visible and find solutions that include those. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the correlation between gender inequality values and food security scores worldwide combined with existing literature and rich studies on the links between gender and food in specific contexts to create powerful insights on the need that the world needs to produce, publish, and use more consistent data on gender equality and food. Read More...
Harvesting the Outcomes of SHOUHARDO III’s Local Service Provision Model of Micro Seed Dealers and Micro Seed Retailers (MSD/MSR)
SHOUHARDO III aims to ensure sustainable agriculture and livelihood for its beneficiaries. Part of this entailed forming community groups consisting of both men and women farmers, as well as increasing their capability in terms of quality seeds, agricultural technology, input and output markets, and connections with public and private actors. Read More...
FINAL EVALUATION “Support to Development of Agricultural Cooperatives”
The Final Evaluation Report consists of a project background, methodology, main findings (including analysis of in-depth interviews and focus group results), conclusions, recommendations and lessons learnt. The methodology used triangulation, combining desk research (qualitative and quantitative secondary data) and primary data collected during the mission in North Macedonia via interviews and focus groups in Skopje and other locations.
Relevance: The project was clearly relevant to the context of North Macedonia and the Western Balkans region. The interventions were timely and focused on addressing the priority needs of farmers, important for enhancing sustainability of North Macedonian agriculture. Its design was based on the in-depth needs assessment, which was a collaborative effort carried out by the partners, stakeholders and project beneficiaries. In the course of its implementation, the identified needs farmers and stakeholders were also met by the project to a great extent.
Effectiveness: The effectiveness of the project was visible in several areas. However in some areas more time is needed – likely until the completion of the project - to unveil the project outcomes and impacts. The project greatly succeeded in creating a significant number of new ACs and increasing the involvement of farmers into this kind of business model. Yet, their membership size is often small. Despite the efforts to consolidate representation of the AC’s, there were mixed results regarding the umbrella organization. On the one hand, it visibly improved the planning, management, and provision of services while ensuring the continuation of the funding until the end of 2020. On the other hand, it split into two entities, which hampered the consolidation process. There is limited progress that is visible in terms improved business performance of the ACs. However, the project lifespan was too short to detect a major shift in economic terms.
Efficiency: The implementation of the project was smooth and largely in line with its budget and timeline. The project encountered minor delays and budget issues from the beginning. Yet, the project was complemented with in-kind resources of the partners and thus was cost-efficient. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project duration had to be extended. The management of the project was very efficient and responsive against this force majeure. The project lifetime was extended and this allowed for an adequate adaptation to those unusual circumstances.
Sustainability: Despite the relatively successful establishment of the ACs, the sustainability of the project has been called into question due to the fact that related legal frameworks have not been adopted and the challenges ACs face in accessing the markets. The cooperatives benefitted from investments to upgrade farm facilities (machinery, post-harvest storage), yet they were not clearly embedded into functioning value chains. The pandemic proved to be challenging for enhancing the links between the farmers and other value chain actors. Participation in face-to-face meetings and business events was seriously constrained. Yet, the project succeeded in facilitating contacts between business partners, especially for the AC Prespansko Jabolche. Read More...
Relevance: The project was clearly relevant to the context of North Macedonia and the Western Balkans region. The interventions were timely and focused on addressing the priority needs of farmers, important for enhancing sustainability of North Macedonian agriculture. Its design was based on the in-depth needs assessment, which was a collaborative effort carried out by the partners, stakeholders and project beneficiaries. In the course of its implementation, the identified needs farmers and stakeholders were also met by the project to a great extent.
Effectiveness: The effectiveness of the project was visible in several areas. However in some areas more time is needed – likely until the completion of the project - to unveil the project outcomes and impacts. The project greatly succeeded in creating a significant number of new ACs and increasing the involvement of farmers into this kind of business model. Yet, their membership size is often small. Despite the efforts to consolidate representation of the AC’s, there were mixed results regarding the umbrella organization. On the one hand, it visibly improved the planning, management, and provision of services while ensuring the continuation of the funding until the end of 2020. On the other hand, it split into two entities, which hampered the consolidation process. There is limited progress that is visible in terms improved business performance of the ACs. However, the project lifespan was too short to detect a major shift in economic terms.
Efficiency: The implementation of the project was smooth and largely in line with its budget and timeline. The project encountered minor delays and budget issues from the beginning. Yet, the project was complemented with in-kind resources of the partners and thus was cost-efficient. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project duration had to be extended. The management of the project was very efficient and responsive against this force majeure. The project lifetime was extended and this allowed for an adequate adaptation to those unusual circumstances.
Sustainability: Despite the relatively successful establishment of the ACs, the sustainability of the project has been called into question due to the fact that related legal frameworks have not been adopted and the challenges ACs face in accessing the markets. The cooperatives benefitted from investments to upgrade farm facilities (machinery, post-harvest storage), yet they were not clearly embedded into functioning value chains. The pandemic proved to be challenging for enhancing the links between the farmers and other value chain actors. Participation in face-to-face meetings and business events was seriously constrained. Yet, the project succeeded in facilitating contacts between business partners, especially for the AC Prespansko Jabolche. Read More...
End-line Survey Report for Scaling-up Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) Project: Lashio – Northern Shan
CARE Myanmar is working closely with the vulnerable communities in conflict-affected areas across Myanmar to achieve sustainable and inclusive community development. With the specific objective to improve agricultural yield, income, food and nutrition security of smallholder farmers and women-headed households through promoting sustainable agriculture technologies and nutrition and hygiene practices, a resilient livelihood project, namely Scaling Up Sustainable Agriculture (SSA), funded by Latter-day Saints (LDS) Charities, was implemented in Lashio between 2019 and 2020. Read More...
PROJET PASANGA
À la suite du passage de l’ouragan Matthew, CARE, étant donné sa mission humanitaire, a apporté un ensemble de supports dans les zones touchées à travers plusieurs interventions parmi lesquelles le projet d’Appui à la Sécurité Alimentaire, au Renforcement Agricole et à l’Amélioration Nutritionnelle dans la Grand’Anse (ASARANGA). Implémenté de concert avec ActionAid et Konbit Payizan Grand’Anse (KPGA), le projet ASARANGA avait pour but de contribuer à l’augmentation de la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle des groupes vulnérables affectés par le passage de l’ouragan Matthew dans les communes de Beaumont, Jérémie et Roseaux à travers
quatre axes d’interventions :agriculture, relance économique, nutrition, et gouvernance. Read More...
quatre axes d’interventions :agriculture, relance économique, nutrition, et gouvernance. Read More...
AGRO SOURCE PROJECT
The AgroSource project in Ghana was initially designed as a two and half year project implemented between July 2018 and December 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, necessitated a 6-months extension, thus making it a 3-year project that extended into 2021. The project aimed to support smallholder women farmers to:
• Increase availability and access to good quality agricultural inputs in rural communities by 50% through a private sector-led agro-dealership scheme that will establish and support 50 women and men rural agro-dealers by the year 2020.
• Increase availability of and access to certified seed through a community seed production system in partnership with the private sector, which will engage 200 smallholder women, farmers, as out-growers.
• Improve utilization of good quality agricultural inputs by enhancing knowledge of smallholder farmers through input fairs, demonstration plots, and training.
• Create an enabling environment for women in agri-input systems through improving gender responsiveness of both private and government sector partners. Read More...
• Increase availability and access to good quality agricultural inputs in rural communities by 50% through a private sector-led agro-dealership scheme that will establish and support 50 women and men rural agro-dealers by the year 2020.
• Increase availability of and access to certified seed through a community seed production system in partnership with the private sector, which will engage 200 smallholder women, farmers, as out-growers.
• Improve utilization of good quality agricultural inputs by enhancing knowledge of smallholder farmers through input fairs, demonstration plots, and training.
• Create an enabling environment for women in agri-input systems through improving gender responsiveness of both private and government sector partners. Read More...
HAFORSA 2 BASELINE Supplementary baseline to support gender indicators.
This baseline survey was conducted by the Gender and Program Quality team of CARE International in Timor-Leste from 14th – 17th September 2021 in the Admin post of Atsabe, Municipality of Ermera. This is a qualitative-based survey and used the Social Analysis and Action (SAA) tools with the objective of collecting information from the farmer groups through a participative Focus Group Discussion (FGDs). The tools were used to analyze the situation related to the roles and responsibilities at home including the decision-making process between women and men, and to understand women’s participation, and their ability to engage in development programs within their community area. Read More...
Water for Food Security, Women’s Empowerment and Environmental Protection Project (SWEEP) Gender Assessment II
East and West Belesa woredas (districts) are located in the central Gondar zone of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. The people of East and West Belesa woredas are dependent on subsistence farming and rain fed agriculture in a context of recurrent drought and severe land degradation. The overwhelming majority live in extreme poverty and face food shortages as a result of the frequent shocks these conditions expose them to. The condition is more devastating for women, girls and marginalized households – for example, female-headed households and households including persons with disability who are often excluded from social and economic entitlements.
CARE, with the financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and funds from Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) has implemented a three years' (October 2017 to September 2020 – then extended to February 2021) project titled "Water for Food Security, Women's Empowerment and Environmental Protection (SWEEP)" to address the socio-economic and environmental problems causing food insecurity in 20 kebeles of east and west Belesa woredas. The project was implemented by CARE in collaboration with local government, communities and universities. To increase the resilience of households, the SWEEP project followed an integrated and holistic project implementation approach, which put marginalized people at the center.
At the end of the project period, a gender assessment was conducted to see and capture the changes in the lives of women; especially the results of the women empowerment and the social norms change components of the project. Findings from the Rapid Gender Assessment (May 2017) and In-depth gender Assessment (May 2018) were used as a baseline to compare the before and after situation of women in the community. This report is prepared to share the findings of the end line gender assessment II, which was conducted between December 14 and 23, 2020. Read More...
CARE, with the financial support from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and funds from Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) has implemented a three years' (October 2017 to September 2020 – then extended to February 2021) project titled "Water for Food Security, Women's Empowerment and Environmental Protection (SWEEP)" to address the socio-economic and environmental problems causing food insecurity in 20 kebeles of east and west Belesa woredas. The project was implemented by CARE in collaboration with local government, communities and universities. To increase the resilience of households, the SWEEP project followed an integrated and holistic project implementation approach, which put marginalized people at the center.
At the end of the project period, a gender assessment was conducted to see and capture the changes in the lives of women; especially the results of the women empowerment and the social norms change components of the project. Findings from the Rapid Gender Assessment (May 2017) and In-depth gender Assessment (May 2018) were used as a baseline to compare the before and after situation of women in the community. This report is prepared to share the findings of the end line gender assessment II, which was conducted between December 14 and 23, 2020. Read More...