| Posted January 12,
2006: In Senegal, The Rodale Institute® has provided
support in many areas of regenerative and organic agriculture
and environmental conservation since 1987, researching and
developing systems for farming practices and technologies.
The Institute has also helped to empower farming communities
in Mali, Tanzania, and Kenya in Africa, as well as programs
in Asia and Latin America.
Africare is the US’s oldest and largest African-American
led humanitarian organization focusing exclusively on aid
to Africa, impacting communities in over 35 countries since
1970. Food security and health are two of the organization’s
pivotal focuses, so this teaming agreement represents a commitment
to improving the quality of life for farmers and their communities.
Africare Senior Vice President Jeannine Scott remarks, “Africare
is very excited about this teaming agreement with The Rodale
Institute. Africare’s 35 years of experience in grass
roots development is well complimented by The Rodale Institute’s
strengths in regenerative agriculture. The majority of farmers
Africare works with do not have the resources necessary to
benefit from conventional agriculture; however, they are already
practicing elements of regenerative agriculture. Africare
and The Rodale Institute are now joining forces to positively
impact thousands of farmers and their families.”
The Rodale Institute President, John Haberern, says, “Our
commitment to promoting regenerative and organic agriculture
remains firm. Indeed, the Institute’s efforts have generated
significant results such as increased yields by up to 300
percent for farmers in Thies, Senegal. Both of our organizations
have committed to identifying joint programming opportunities
that will bolster each agency’s technical strengths
to support small-scale agriculture throughout Africa.”
For stories on the work of The Institute in Senegal, see
the stories in our series Sustainable
in Senegal.
Through securing the necessary funding from a diverse cross
section of international donors, Africare and The Rodale Institute
will generate significant results, improving soil fertility,
production, water management and the quality of life for farmers
and their communities. Both organizations have partnered with
USAID which provided programming funding for their work helping
farmers and their communities throughout Africa.
Africare’s work in agriculture
Africare has assisted the people of Africa in the areas
of health, HIV/AIDS, agriculture, water, the environment,
poverty alleviation, governance — and emergency aid
to refugees and displaced persons, victims of flooding and
drought, and people impacted by health crises. Its headquarters
is in Washington, D.C.
Food security is a cornerstone of Africare’s work,
which currently takes place in 26 nations. In 2005, Africare
implemented development projects and food aid activities in
13 countries benefiting more than 1.5 million people.
The globally recognized development group has been aiding
farmers in Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to develop small-scale,
on-farm oilseed processing utilizing local sunflowers. Africare
trained the farmers in business development and operating
the presses, along with providing them with improved varieties
bred to withstand drought and yield more oil. The effort has
provided food, badly needed income and livestock feed from
a sustainable system.
Over the course of a decade, Zambians in six provinces bought
more than 2,000 hand-operated presses for making cooking oil
and more than 150 tons of sunflower planting seed. These businesses
provided owners with net incomes of more than twice the annual
average.
Africare’s other agricultural-related activities include
training farmers in maximizing food production, offering of
micro-credit to female entrepreneurs, cooperative marketing
development, training caretakers in child nutrition, working
with communities in the construction of rural roads, and organizing
communal-based digging of wells that provide potable water
and sources of irrigation for local inhabitants. 
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