2012 SEEP Annual Conference: Helping impoverished farming communities to help themselves
"Helping Impoverished Farming Communities to Help Themselves: Innovative Methods for Developing Farmer Skills and Accessing Profitable Markets" was one of the many sessions that made up the Enterprise and Market Development track at SEEP’s 2012 Annual Conference. Participating in the session, which focused on capacity-building, was William Sparks and John Leary of ACDI/VOCA, followed by Gianluca Nardi and Alejandro Rojas of CARE. The interactive session highlighted success stories of capacity-building programs within both organizations.
M3 and STICKS: The Sell More for More Tools
William Sparks, Vice President of Program Services at ACDI/VOCA, kicked off the session by referring to the Sell More for More approach. This approach seeks to improve post-harvest handling and market-oriented business plans by developing informal groups and cooperatives. Sparks stressed that the program does not act on behalf of the farmers, but focuses on facilitating existing capacity and skills. The approach is meant to strengthen local support firms and distribute risk, allowing individual farmers to explore their own market-opportunities.
John Leary then took the stage to explain the tools implemented in the Sell More for More program. M3—which stands for membership, money, and management—is distributed to each farming-based organization at the start of each program. It is a survey that assesses capacity and identifies development priorities tailored to each group or cooperative. A leadership kit containing activities, market plans, and planning books is also distributed. Leary finished by explaining a final tool, STICKS—which stands for Scalable Tracker for Imparting Certified Knowledge and Skills. STICKS provides a framework for consistent reporting and easy tracking and serves as a distinguished award for the holder in each farming group. Though Save More for More has served as a indicator of confidence for quality products, Leary explained that identifying buyers who are willing to pay a premium is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed.
PATs and Kamayoqs: Locals Leading Technical Assistance
Gianluca Nardi, Senior Technical Advisor for Private Sector Engagement at CARE, began with an explanation of the PAT model (PAT is the Spanish acronym for a Technical Assistance Provider). A PAT is a local community member without much formal education but strong entrepreneurial potential and vocational skills. Nardi described how the process begins with the identification and nomination of a potential PAT who is subsequently trained to provide technical assistance to small farmers. The trained worker then serves as an intermediary between the small producers and final buyers, providing services in training, marketing, and access to finance. Nardi praised the model, explaining that results saw average income increase drastically and an equally drastic reduction of poverty rates for beneficiaries.
Alejandro Rosa, the National Sustainable Development Coordinator in CARE Peru, closed out the session by speaking about the Kamayoq model in partnership with Practical Action. Through this model, modern day Kamayoqs—a name for 16th century advisors on agriculture and climate—are given technical training and skills certification. Kamayoqs then work with resource-poor farmers and communities, bringing products and technical advice to commercial service-providers. Rosa vouched that the effectiveness of this extension farming is rooted in the indigenous knowledge brought to the training. Finishing the session, Rosa touched on how the sustainability of the model is due largely to local governance. The model is eventually taken over by the local government, who provides quality control and technical updates.