Farmer-to-Farmer Implementer’s Meeting Notes

The meeting was attended by representatives from various implementing partners, including USAID staff, and focused on key areas such as climate change, nutrition, input supply systems, and food safety. The meeting began with a welcome and introduction by Peggy, followed by a presentation on the FY2015 Summary and GAO Recommendations. The presentation highlighted the program's accomplishments, including 750 volunteer assignments in 38 countries, 13,896 volunteer days, and direct formal training to 42,382 beneficiaries. The GAO recommendations emphasized the need for implementing partners to screen volunteer candidates against terrorist watch lists, develop guidance on background checks, and ensure the sharing of negative volunteer assessment information. The meeting also featured a Lessons Learned Panel, which included presentations from Land O'Lakes' MentorCloud online portal, Winrock, and Catholic Relief Services. The panel discussed the challenges and successes of implementing the Farmer-to-Farmer program, including the need for effective communication between hosts and volunteers, the importance of language barriers, and the substantial staff time required to manage the system. The meeting also included technical presentations by USAID staff on topics such as NRM/Climate Change, Nutrition and Agriculture, Input Supply Systems, and Food Safety. Breakout groups were held to discuss the implications of these topics for the Farmer-to-Farmer program, including the use of ICT and applications, associate awards, and monitoring and evaluation. The meeting also addressed the need for increased outreach and awareness of the Farmer-to-Farmer resources available. The Outreach Committee was tasked with considering increased outreach opportunities, and VEGA was asked to circulate the "Expanding engagement with MSOs to increase the recruitment of minority volunteers in Farmer to Farmer (F2F) programs" implementation plan and draft products to solicit inputs from all implementers. The meeting concluded with a report back on the small group discussions and a wrap-up session. The Farmer-to-Farmer program aims to provide training and technical assistance to farmers in developing countries, and the meeting highlighted the importance of effective implementation, communication, and outreach in achieving this goal. The program's accomplishments in FY2015 were significant, with 750 volunteer assignments in 38 countries, 13,896 volunteer days, and direct formal training to 42,382 beneficiaries. The program also made progress in addressing the GAO recommendations, including the development of guidance on background checks and the sharing of negative volunteer assessment information. The meeting also highlighted the challenges faced by the program, including the need for effective communication between hosts and volunteers, the importance of language barriers, and the substantial staff time required to manage the system. The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to the program's goals and objectives, and a recognition of the importance of effective implementation, communication, and outreach in achieving these goals. The Farmer-to-Farmer program is a critical component of USAID's efforts to improve agricultural productivity and food security in developing countries. The program's focus on training and technical assistance has been shown to be effective in improving agricultural productivity and food security, and the meeting highlighted the importance of continued support for this program. The program's accomplishments in FY2015 were significant, and the meeting highlighted the importance of continued support for this program. The meeting also emphasized the need for effective implementation, communication, and outreach in achieving the program's goals and objectives.