Pushing the Limits: Lessons from CARE on Market Systems Approaches, Food Security, and Resilience (Event Resources)

Grounded in an overview of CARE’s approach to resilience, this session featured evidence and lessons learned from some of CARE’s most successful market engagement initiatives. Highlighting practices that promote smallholder food security and poverty reduction as well as smallholder and value chain resilience, the session drew on a range of case examples including USAID-supported programs in Ethiopia that promote graduation for chronically food insecure households; value chain initiatives in Bangladesh that are strengthening the dairy sector while doubling smallholder dairy incomes; and CARE’s new Pathways to Empowerment Program, which aims to enhance the resilience of women smallholder farmers and their families in Ghana, Mali, Malawi, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and India. The presenter provided a detailed look at these models, what they are achieving, and where challenges remain and then shared some common principles emerging from across CARE’s experience. The session concluded by highlighting issues CARE is grappling with as a growing focus on resilience pushes traditional programming models to the limit.