From November 2016 to September 2020, the Feed the Future (FTF) Land Market Development Activity (LMDA) increased Tajikistan’s agricultural competitiveness and self-reliance by facilitating the emergence of a functioning, gender equitable land market. Focusing on 12 target districts in Tajikistan’s Khatlon region, LMDA worked through four mutually reinforcing tasks to advance reforms, strengthen private and…
Many firms in Bangladesh have grown their businesses while helping smallholder farmers implement new technologies and better management practices, which has improved the quality of their produce. However, most agribusinesses lack the ability to effectively manage their businesses while increasing their engagements with farmers. Agribusinesses need to work more closely with farmer-clients, providing information that…
Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector has embraced diversification, unlocking new markets for its goods. But challenges to stronger agricultural market systems remain, including inconsistency in post-production, a lack of participation by women and youth, and limited educational and policy reforms. The USAID Agribusiness Development Activity tackles these challenges to boost private sector-led growth in Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector.…
We’d like you to meet Robert Anyang! Robert is an agricultural value chain improvement and marketing expert. With extensive experience advancing public-private partnerships, incubating youth-owned businesses, and expanding farmers’ access to markets, Robert shares how he was destined for his current career. Robert is one reason #DevelopmentWorksHere. 1. Can you tell us about your journey…
Cynthia Steen serves as chief of party of the USAID Moldova High Value Agriculture Activity (HVAA) and has previously led agribusiness and enterprise development projects in multiple countries, including Egypt, Albania, Jamaica, Lebanon, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. HVAA is successfully demonstrating production, post-harvest, and marketing techniques to make Moldova a more competitive exporter, creating sustainable opportunities…
Garron Hansen brings 20 years of international experience, including 15 years implementing both donor and U.S. Government-funded programs in Africa and Haiti. In his previous role as the senior global practice lead for the agriculture & food security practice, Garron has forged strategic partnerships and expanded Chemonics’ portfolio of projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America,…
While Ghana has experienced much needed growth and development in the agriculture sector, the Ghanaian government has identified many opportunities to address remaining challenges to unlock its full economic potential. To address these challenges, the U.S. government launched the five-year, $15 million Feed the Future Agriculture Policy Support Project in 201, which increased the capacity of…
Currently the director of the Colombia Rural Finance Initiative, Heather Joffe Reyes is an international development practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in agricultural value chains, small business development, and rural development. In addition, Heather has worked on contracts and grants management with an emphasis on designing grant programs to avoid market distortions.…
Kirk Ramer has over 25 years of experience managing projects to promote agricultural and small-and medium-sized enterprise development in southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. He is currently the chief of party of the Agribusiness Development Activity (ADA) in Uzbekistan. Kirk has worked to promote trade and investment and improve business education, microfinance, and…
This post originally appeared on Agrilinks. Farming is a risky livelihood throughout the world. But for smallholder farmers in particular, productivity and food security are defined by risk. “Good years” are defined by adequate rains, and “bad years” by drought. In Uganda, where 70 percent of the population is employed in the agricultural sector, the…
MARKETS II supported the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative, the government of Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), and its succeeding Agriculture Promotion Policy 2016 – 2020 (also known as the Green Alternative). Through a market-demand value chain orientation, the project focused on the large population of smallholders with between 1 to 5 hectares of…