Grameen Foundation Launches Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Colombia

Grameen Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the five-year USAID-funded Partners of the Americas’ John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Colombia. Farmer-to-Farmer will support the development of rural enterprises and farmers’ associations across poverty-stricken areas.

Grameen Foundation’s Bankers without Borders®(BwB) program will recruit and assign 100 skilled volunteers to train farmers in financial literacy, financial management and business development, with a particular focus on women. Volunteers will also help farmers obtain financing and train local people in food processing, food safety, packaging and marketing.

Agriculture is a cornerstone of Colombia’s ongoing redevelopment after decades of unrest. Yet, despite recent economic growth, nearly one-quarter of rural Colombians still face extreme poverty. In many rural areas, farmers who previously depended on growing coca (the source plant for cocaine) for income urgently need alternative livelihoods.

The robust Farmer-to-Farmer program will share skills that help build businesses, create jobs, improve food security and increase rural incomes in Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Cordoba, and Bolivar. Its goal is to generate rapid, sustained and broad-based economic growth.

The project is funded with a US$1.45 million grant from Partners of the Americas and will support USAID’s Rural Enterprise Development project in Colombia.

About Grameen Foundation

Grameen Foundation is a global nonprofit whose mission is to enable the poor, especially women, to end poverty and hunger. It uses digital technology and local partner networks to create solutions that span financial, agricultural and health services, and that bring people the tools and opportunities they need to help themselves. Follow us on twitter: @GrameenFdn