The phrases “women’s empowerment” and “reducing the gender gaps” have become a central component of agricultural development since the 2000s, yet they are uncomfortable for many men and some women, including ourselves. It is too simplistic to replace the concepts of gender by the term “women”, as men and women have different roles, interests, capacities and opportunities. It is widely … Read More
FoodSTART+ FBS Enrollees Learn the Basics of Financial Literacy
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office of Bohol trained representative Farmer Business School (FBS) enrollees on basic financial literacy, product pricing, costing and marketing last 23-24 April 2018 at the Paraiso Kubo Inn, Dagohoy, Bohol. This is one of the special topics which was identified by the FBS groups during the needs assessment conducted as part of … Read More
Gender-responsive participatory videos as a means of icebreaking and brainstorming for research
Meghalaya State in India promotes organic agriculture and recently stopped subsidies for chemical fertilizers. To explore potato farmers’ gendered perceptions of and responses to this state policy, a case study was conducted in October 2017 in the matrilineal Khasi community. Prior to in-depth interviews with women and men farmers, this study used gender-responsive participatory videos as an ice breaking activity to … Read More
Sweet deliverance by sweetpotato
Like many of his neighbors, Nguyen Duc Du relied on government food aid when typhoons – which regularly visited Tan Tien village in Quang Binh province – destroyed their rice crops. Except one time, nearly a decade ago, when the valley got flooded and no relief teams could get in. Then they had their stock of boiled and sun-dried sweetpotatoes … Read More
New Aqua-based Business School curriculum to be piloted by FishCORAL with FoodSTART+
FoodSTART+’s Farmer Business School approach has taken a new notch as FishCORAL has adapted it into the Aqua-based Business School (ABS). A writeshop for finalizing the ABS curriculum was conducted on 26-28 February 2018 at the Icon Hotel, Quezon City, Philippines. The writeshop was attended by ten (10) FishCORAL participants representing the four regions targeted by the project – mostly … Read More
FoodSTART+ joins a Consultation Meeting in a bid to boost the Philippine Industry for Cassava and Sweetpotato
The FoodSTART+ team led by Dr. Diego Naziri participated in the Consultation cum Packaging Workshop/Meeting for Rootcrops (Cassava and Sweetpotato) organized by the Crops Research Division (CRD) of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) on 24 April 2018. The workshop aimed to facilitate discussion, and information … Read More
CIP and CTCRI collaborate to build capacities in value addition and entrepreneurship development in tuber crops
A training on ‘Value addition and entrepreneurship development in tuber crops’ was conducted from 16th to 22nd of March 2018 by the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. The training is one of the activities included in the collaborative workplan between the International Potato Center and the IFAD-supported Livelihood and Access to Market Project (LAMP) in … Read More
Farmers and Women’s Groups Successfully Launch Businesses on Sweetpotato Products
Farmers and women’s groups showcase their sweetpotato innovative products at the SP-ISP Business Launching & Products Exhibit, held on 14 March 2018 at Robinsons Starmills, City of San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. The business launch is the culmination of the Farmer Business School (FBS), which is part of the project on Sweetpotato Value Chain Development for Food in Tarlac, Albay, Leyte … Read More
FoodSTART+ and SOLID Build Capacity of Facilitators for Farmer Business School Approach in Indonesia
The Food Resilience Through Root And Tuber Crops In Upland and Coastal Communities of The Asia-Pacific (FoodSTART+), and Smallholder Livelihood Development Project (SOLID), both International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded grant and loan projects respectively, are jointly collaborating to implement the Farmer Business School in Maluku and Maluku Utara provinces. As the first step in this process, FoodSTART+ and SOLID … Read More
FoodSTART+ Builds Knowledge on Silage Technologies for Increased Availability and Reduced Cost of Quality Feed in Northeast India
Small-scale pig farming is an integral part of livelihood and farming activity in northeast India. The Food Resilience Through Root and Tuber Crops in Upland and Coastal Communities of the Asia Pacific (FoodSTART+) project, implemented by the International Potato Center (CIP) in the framework of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB), with funding from IFAD and the European … Read More