''Innovations that are guided by smallholder farmers, adapted to local circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and environment will be necessary to ensure food security in the future.”– Bill Gates
It is our smaller farmers who also need to be empowered if we are to help solve the global issue of nutrition and food security. Under the right guidance and given the right opportunities they can prosper and in turn so too can a country’s economy. In this comment we intend to answer the first question under programs.
· What have been the success stories and lessons learned by the private sector and civil society in implementing nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems programmes at country level?
In Guyana there are not many well-known success stories about such programs. However, one such story is the Linden Economic Advancement Program (LEAP). The initiative was started in 2002 and ended 2009. At the time it was a Government and Civil Society Program. The approach basically is to fund a maximum of 100% of labour and 80% of operation costs. Farmers will fund 100% of equipment and a minimum of 20 % of the costs of operation or LEAP will fund a maximum of 100%of labour, 20% of equipment rental and 70% of operation costs. Farmers will fund a minimum of 80% of equipment rental and 30% costs of operation.
The idea behind the program is that assistance with land clearing would have an immediate effect on the expansion of cultivation. Moreover, LEAP is intended to be a means for the achievement of economic diversification of Region 10 through increased investment, and emergence of a viable entrepreneurial sector. This in return would impact the nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems within the Region 10 area. The will result in the farmers benefitting tremendously from this initiative since farmers could earn an income and the area would become relatively more ‘Food Secure’.
Today members of the LEAP committee have recognised the importance of the said program and have continued to fund the initiative from their own pockets. It is now a private and civil society partnership. The members have indicated the tremendous growth and potential that resulted from fostering the initiative to present day. Farmers from the region 10 area have even started tapping into overseas markets to expand their product line.
Due to the overwhelming success a new initiative was formed and referred to as the Region 10 Agriculture and Forest Producers Association. The organization is a community-based organization registered under the Friendly Societies Act. Its acts as an institution to create employment and reduce poverty by financially empowering the residents of Region 10 and provides an opportunity to diversify from the traditional bauxite industry for which this community is known. The organisation’s motto is, “thank you for choosing our product, you are helping to eradicate poverty in our region”.
The lesson learnt here is that, through closer knitted program such as LEAP, the agriculture sector in general could be fostered. The amount of farmers benefitting from these initiates is overwhelming and still being recorded. When the private sector is involved, such programs will be even more efficient after all, they will peruse some kind of profit maximisation and intern have some kind of efficiency. Food security woes are no longer a problem and levels of nutrition rise since the area now had both better access to food and is more economically stable.
We would like to suggest a simple recommendation. If the Ministry of Agriculture has an impact assessment done, they would see the amount of positive externalities being derived from such programs. Policies should then be created to have such programs being implemented though the ministry and the commercial banks. Therefore empowering small farmers further and welcoming potential farmers on board. Not only should grants be given out but more practical and onsite training should be provided for farmers. These initiatives would foster an already dying sector in our economy. It would empower small farmers who in turn, as we have seen with the success of the LEAP programme, can help eradicate food security and nutrition issues. With the Guyana Marketing Agency on board, the farmers would then find overseas markets to sell their products and even go into agricultural by products such as jams, pepper sauces, seasonings etc. This can help with the worldwide food security and nutrition problems by increasing the availability of food.
''Innovations that are guided by smallholder farmers, adapted to local circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and environment will be necessary to ensure food security in the future.”– Bill Gates
It is our smaller farmers who also need to be empowered if we are to help solve the global issue of nutrition and food security. Under the right guidance and given the right opportunities they can prosper and in turn so too can a country’s economy. In this comment we intend to answer the first question under programs.
· What have been the success stories and lessons learned by the private sector and civil society in implementing nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems programmes at country level?
In Guyana there are not many well-known success stories about such programs. However, one such story is the Linden Economic Advancement Program (LEAP). The initiative was started in 2002 and ended 2009. At the time it was a Government and Civil Society Program. The approach basically is to fund a maximum of 100% of labour and 80% of operation costs. Farmers will fund 100% of equipment and a minimum of 20 % of the costs of operation or LEAP will fund a maximum of 100%of labour, 20% of equipment rental and 70% of operation costs. Farmers will fund a minimum of 80% of equipment rental and 30% costs of operation.
The idea behind the program is that assistance with land clearing would have an immediate effect on the expansion of cultivation. Moreover, LEAP is intended to be a means for the achievement of economic diversification of Region 10 through increased investment, and emergence of a viable entrepreneurial sector. This in return would impact the nutrition-enhancing agriculture and food systems within the Region 10 area. The will result in the farmers benefitting tremendously from this initiative since farmers could earn an income and the area would become relatively more ‘Food Secure’.
Today members of the LEAP committee have recognised the importance of the said program and have continued to fund the initiative from their own pockets. It is now a private and civil society partnership. The members have indicated the tremendous growth and potential that resulted from fostering the initiative to present day. Farmers from the region 10 area have even started tapping into overseas markets to expand their product line.
Due to the overwhelming success a new initiative was formed and referred to as the Region 10 Agriculture and Forest Producers Association. The organization is a community-based organization registered under the Friendly Societies Act. Its acts as an institution to create employment and reduce poverty by financially empowering the residents of Region 10 and provides an opportunity to diversify from the traditional bauxite industry for which this community is known. The organisation’s motto is, “thank you for choosing our product, you are helping to eradicate poverty in our region”.
The lesson learnt here is that, through closer knitted program such as LEAP, the agriculture sector in general could be fostered. The amount of farmers benefitting from these initiates is overwhelming and still being recorded. When the private sector is involved, such programs will be even more efficient after all, they will peruse some kind of profit maximisation and intern have some kind of efficiency. Food security woes are no longer a problem and levels of nutrition rise since the area now had both better access to food and is more economically stable.
We would like to suggest a simple recommendation. If the Ministry of Agriculture has an impact assessment done, they would see the amount of positive externalities being derived from such programs. Policies should then be created to have such programs being implemented though the ministry and the commercial banks. Therefore empowering small farmers further and welcoming potential farmers on board. Not only should grants be given out but more practical and onsite training should be provided for farmers. These initiatives would foster an already dying sector in our economy. It would empower small farmers who in turn, as we have seen with the success of the LEAP programme, can help eradicate food security and nutrition issues. With the Guyana Marketing Agency on board, the farmers would then find overseas markets to sell their products and even go into agricultural by products such as jams, pepper sauces, seasonings etc. This can help with the worldwide food security and nutrition problems by increasing the availability of food.
Suraiya Ramkissoon
Jamilya Morian
Veronica Sukhai
Alexander Defreitas
Ricardo Deokie
Sources:
LEAP. Linden Economic Advancement Program. 2003-2009. http://www.leapguyana.org/ (accessed September 22, 2013).
Stabroek News. Linden farmers on sweet pepper drive. May 14, 2009. http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/archives/05/14/linden-farmers-on-sweet-... (accessed September 22, 2013).