In Bosnia and Herzegovina, changes to the agriculture sector can increase market opportunities, help citizens, and improve the country’s chances for accession to the European Union. Fostering Agricultural Markets Activity — a collaborative effort by USAID and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency — improved competitiveness among agricultural producers and agribusinesses. Using environmentally sustainable methods, the…
Jordan’s tourism industry generates more than 14 percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product and is the greatest source of private sector employment in the country. To make the most of this economic opportunity, the USAID Economic Growth Through Sustainable Tourism Project (Siyaha) improved Jordan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination. Building on the…
Moldova is well positioned to develop a strong agriculture sector with a wide international reach. The USAID High Value Agriculture Activity (HVAA) is transforming the country’s high-value agriculture sector into an engine of economic growth. “High-value agriculture” refers to the farming of non-staple crops that have higher net returns, such as berries, table grapes, and…
Although countries’ specific contexts influence their national policies, there are best practices for economic development from which all countries can learn. Drawing on best practices and lessons learned from USAID programming, the Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices (AMEG) project developed effective interventions that strengthened economic institutions and governance. In collaboration with USAID…
Patrick Rader is a principal advisor to the Europe and Eurasia region. Previously, he led the USAID Agriculture and Rural Development Program for Ukraine, the Feed the Future Commodity Production and Marketing Activity in Uganda, and served as the director of Chemonics’ agriculture and food security practice. He is a senior technical manager with over…
Douglas Griffith is the chief of party of the Lebanon Enterprise Development Project. His areas of expertise include enterprise development, industry competitiveness, value-chain strengthening, institutional strengthening, and policy reform. Previously, he was chief of party of the Uganda Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity, which focused on improving economic governance related to agro-inputs…
Ukraine has some of the world’s most fertile soil, but fragmentation of the land has limited the agriculture sector’s success: More than half of Ukraine’s gross agricultural product is generated by approximately 4 million smallholder farmers scattered across the country. The USAID Agriculture and Rural Development Support program worked with the government, businesses, and community…
In Uganda, youth unemployment is growing: Each year, 400,000 youth enter the labor market and compete for only 80,000 formal jobs. 75 percent of the workforce and 55 percent of youth in Uganda are engaged in the agriculture sector, and Uganda is addressing youth unemployment, in part, by creating more opportunities for rural youth to…
Given Uganda’s favorable weather conditions and wealth of arable land, Uganda’s agriculture sector has enormous potential, but its crop yields remain low. To harness the country’s agricultural potential, the Feed the Future Uganda Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity is identifying and addressing constraints on agricultural development. By working with public and private actors to create…
The majority of Ugandans rely on farming for their incomes, but the country’s agriculture sector, dominated by smallholder farmers, has historically had low economic support and output. The purpose of the Feed the Future Uganda Commodity Production and Marketing Activity was to reduce poverty and promote the long-term prosperity of rural Ugandan families by increasing the…
Many women and children in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan lack access to sufficient vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine, and proteins, which has led to a 31 percent stunting rate. USAID’s Feed the Future Tajikistan Agriculture and Water Activity (TAWA) works to reduce these nutrition deficiencies, supporting farmers in nutrition-sensitive agriculture sectors so they can…
Severe weather conditions, minimal connections to the private sector, and a lack of training represent challenges that have prevented smallholder farmers in Sri Lanka from increasing their agriculture outputs. Without a strong foundation of outputs, these rural communities cannot move from subsistence farming to small-scale commercial production. The USAID Sri Lanka Supporting Opportunities for Livelihoods…