Background
Many developing nations find that the majority of their farming is done on small, indigenous, family farms operating on a very small scale land holdings and with little hope of expansion. However, without growth in their agricultural productivity, these farmers will never be able to raise their levels of income. For transitional or developing countries, agricultural productivity, distribution, and cultivating markets are crucial to reaching a stable economy until industrialization matures. Increases in agricultural productivity allow workers to move into other areas of the economy where the output per worker is substantially higher. Sector shifts caused by increased agriculture productivity represent 29 percent of GDP growth in developing countries. Poverty in many nations is directly linked to low agricultural productivity.
“Knowledge – and the power to harness its opportunities – is now recognized as a major driver of the development process in the global economy.” USAID report of Future Directions for Agriculture
How can a CEI program help?
A CEI family farming mission to the U.S. provides hands-on learning experiences for trainers and/or representatives of the small indigenous farmer in developing nations. The program covers many segments of agriculture including modern management techniques, products, technologies, equipment, organization, methods, and marketing and distribution systems for farms and production facilities. Distribution systems are particularly emphasized since many of these farmers currently send products to local markets whereas significantly opportunities are available for those expanding into other markets, including exports. These enable product costs to be lowered, infrastructure strengthened, and more efficient use of existing facilities and manpower. The CEI mission promotes growth and knowledge through visiting working farms and plants in the U.S., talking to experienced industry managers, and seeing and discussing with industry leaders what works and why. It provides an opportunity to learn how to compete in today’s markets, and where global industry trends are taking the agricultural community.
What will they see?
In the United States, around most of the major cities and towns, there are a number of small farms that regularly provide fresh fruits and vegetables for the urban population. Many of these farms are too small to have the mechanization employed at the larger farms, but they are able to survive in a very competitive world. The mission will visit a number of these farms in order to learn from their operations. The Mission will also visit a number of associations, cooperatives, state agricultural facilities, and other industry related enterprises. In most cases, the programs stress a more effective use of existing resources rather than focusing on a need for increased capital spending.
Topics to be covered include
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Distribution systems and their applicability to the small subsistence farmer.
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Packaging of fruits and vegetables to new markets
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The formation and function of trade associations and cooperatives
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Increasing the value-added to increase the incomes.
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Modern farming techniques including no-till/low-till techniques
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Developing wholesale and retail markets for moving agro-based products.
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Developing value-added agricultural based industries
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Developing agricultural extension services by providing crop protection, fertilizer, seeds, insecticide, pesticide and educational material to farmers
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Shortening time-to-market
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Modern storage, transportation, distribution and crop preservation methods
Expected Benefits
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Increased sales of local fruits, and vegetables.
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Reduced production costs
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Self-sustaining farming techniques
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Improved product yields and quality
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Increased revenues and profits
Where will the mission travel?
This economic development mission will travel in Midwestern agricultural regions of the United States, visiting crop farms and related organizations as appropriate. These will include research and development facilities with a special emphasis on products and procedures to reduce infant livestock fatality, improved feed mixes, and environmentally friendly and low-cost productivity measures that can be taken.