VOCA's Farmer to Farmer (FtF) program began in July 1994 and is currently stated to continue through 2003.  The program supports individual host organizations and VOCA's other donor-supported programs by funding volunteer assignments that build agricultural business capacity.  The overall goal of the program is to strengthen regional and national food security strategies and to support the creation of development strategies that ensure the transition from crisis oriented interventions to broad-based sustainable growth by providing expert training and technical assistance.

FtF volunteer assignments have provided technical assistance in the following areas:

Development of training-of-trainer courses on agricultural cooperative organization and management.

Improved grain production, storage and handling, processing and marketing for farmers, small traders and emergent agribusinesses.

Development of sustainable agricultural methodologies, with particular emphasis on protecting existing forest cover, reversing environmental degradation and improving natural resources management.

Watershed and range management, dry-land forestry and irrigation technology.

Management capacity building for the private agricultural input supply sector.

By 2003, the FtF program will have provided 117 volunteer assignments to 16 host organizations working in agriculture.

Copyright © 2001 VOCA/Ethiopia, Last modified: August 20, 2002

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