Semi-Annual Report October 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016: Farmer-to-Farmer Program: Middle East and North Africa (F2F MENA)

The program's objective is to improve food safety and quality, increase market access, and enhance environmental sustainability. The F2F MENA program consists of Core Country projects in Lebanon and Egypt, with two main projects: Enhancing Food Quality and Safety and Increasing Access to Agricultural Finance. In Lebanon, the program is working to promote more sustainable practices and increase the capacity of host organizations and local communities to mitigate environmental degradation. In Egypt, the program is focusing on narrowing the financing gap in the agricultural sector by helping agricultural enterprises create bankable business plans and supporting local financial institutions to better serve agricultural enterprises. The program has faced significant challenges, particularly with regards to security. The geographic locations for volunteer activities in both core countries are constrained due to security concerns, and most of the fertile and needy regions are outside of the approved program implementation areas. Additionally, potential volunteers perceive the MENA region as unstable and dangerous, making it difficult to recruit qualified volunteers. Despite these challenges, the program has continued to implement smoothly thanks to the strong remaining staff, good institutional memory, and well-established and documented processes. The program has also faced turnover, with the departure of several key staff members, including the Country Director, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists, and the Program Director. However, Land O'Lakes has been able to continue implementing the program without significant disruption. The F2F MENA program has submitted a new project description to USAID for Lebanon on environmental conservation, which is pending approval. If approved, the program will use targeted volunteer technical assistance to promote more sustainable practices and increase the capacity of host organizations and local communities to mitigate environmental degradation. In terms of implementation, the program has made progress in both Lebanon and Egypt. In Lebanon, the program has established a network of farmers and agricultural enterprises that are committed to improving food safety and quality. In Egypt, the program has helped several agricultural enterprises create bankable business plans and access financing from the formal banking sector. The program's performance and impact indicators show a positive trend, with an increase in the number of farmers and agricultural enterprises that have adopted improved food safety and quality practices. The program has also seen an increase in the number of agricultural enterprises that have accessed financing from the formal banking sector. Overall, the F2F MENA program is making progress in improving food safety and quality, increasing market access, and enhancing environmental sustainability in the Middle East and North Africa region. Despite the challenges faced by the program, Land O'Lakes is committed to continuing to implement the program and achieving its objectives. The program's success can be attributed to the strong leadership and management of the program, as well as the commitment of the staff and volunteers. The program's ability to adapt to changing circumstances and challenges has also been a key factor in its success. Additionally, the program's focus on building the capacity of host organizations and local communities has been instrumental in achieving its objectives. In the next six months, the program plans to continue implementing the Enhancing Food Quality and Safety and Increasing Access to Agricultural Finance projects in Lebanon and Egypt. The program will also focus on promoting more sustainable practices and increasing the capacity of host organizations and local communities to mitigate environmental degradation.