Leonard Presents on Food Security at Food Aid Conference
|
|
 |
President Carl Leonard presented at the 2009 International Food Aid Conference in Kansas City, Mo. |
ACDI/VOCA President Carl Leonard moderated a plenary lunchtime discussion on “Moving from Food Aid to Food Security: Embracing Flexibility and Innovation,” on April 8 at the 11th annual International Food Aid Conference in Kansas City, Mo. Leonard said that food aid is one of the most important vehicles that the U.S. government has for promoting global food security. USDA and USAID jointly hosted the April 6–8 confab, which this year had the theme "Fighting Hunger in an Era of Global Economic Crisis."
The economic and food crises present a formidable challenge, as surges in farm input and staple crop prices have helped force an additional 100 million people into poverty. Leonard serves as chairman of the Alliance for Global Food Security, a coalition of 14 NGOs working in food security, and from that platform introduced panelists from World Vision, Joint Aid Management and Project Concern International. The panel emphasized flexibility in targeted food security programming and in achieving an integrated approach to food security. More.
Connect to Us
| As an international development organization, we are driven by our mission to empower people to live better lives. And in that work there’s no denying the power of an informed, motivated, ever-expanding network of supporters. Seek information, help spread it and even add to it while using our social media tools.
Join ACDI/VOCA online in the following spaces:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
USAID’s Value Chain Development Wiki Launched  Designed to share knowledge and increase learning, the USAID Value Chain Development Wiki was launched April 13 in Washington, D.C. USAID K&P II Cognizant Technical Officer Jeanne Downing gave opening remarks at the kickoff, which was attended by over 50 representatives of various donors, nonprofits, universities and private sector companies. Downing said the wiki will be a “body of knowledge and learning” and serve as an important resource for furthering value chain development. “If we’re going to help microenterprises transition to higher-value activities, we need to know where those opportunities are,” she said. Created under ACDI/VOCA's USAID-funded Knowledge and Practice (K&P) II AMAP BDS Task Order, the USAID Value Chain Development Wiki contains numerous research papers, tools and publications on the value chain approach. Its purpose is to codify these resources and enable practitioners and researchers to learn about emerging best practices and promote information sharing. More.
 |
ACDI/VOCA Food Aid on Ship Hijacked by Somali Pirates
Some of the cargo hijacked last month by Somali pirates on the MV Maersk Alabama, was USAID PL 480 Title II food aid that belonged to ACDI/VOCA. The 508-foot-long Alabama was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa with its crew of 20 U.S. nationals when it was set upon by pirates some 280 miles southeast of the town of Eyl in Puntland on April 8. It was less than half full of food, including vegetable oil, bulgur wheat and other agricultural materials destined for use by ACDI/VOCA, World Vision, the World Food Program and other clients. ACDI/VOCA’s portion, which was safely off-loaded and forwarded to Kigali, is to be used implementing a project in Rwanda on behalf of USAID. There was a second attack on April 14 against the Liberty Sun, another American-flagged ship carrying ACDI/VOCA corn-soy blend and bulgur wheat for ACDI/VOCA’s Rwanda program. The ship was not taken over, but was somewhat damaged. No injuries to the crew resulted. According to ACDI/VOCA’s Senior Vice President for Food Security Avram "Buzz" Guroff, the attacks pose urgent new problems for the way food aid is administered. He said, “Since implementers such as ACDI/VOCA take title for the commodities prior to shipment, they can be liable for loss. Marine or all-risk insurance can be extremely costly.”
More.
|
ACDI/VOCA Celebrates Volunteer Week 2009
 Volunteer service is a powerful component of ACDI/VOCA’s approach to development, providing expert technical assistance and a level of commitment that is rewarding to volunteers and beneficiaries alike. For over 45 years, we have placed expert volunteers in over 130 countries, where they have enhanced agricultural practices and business performance and improved living standards. Our volunteers are an expression of our nation’s largesse, but they also demonstrate personal concern for the people we serve, inject a can-do spirit where there is much to be done, and bring success where doubts and frustration are endemic. Then, they enrich our nation by bringing back a new worldliness and an appreciation of ACDI/VOCA activities to a U.S. that cannot afford isolationism.
The theme for National Volunteer Week, April 19-25, was "Celebrating People in Action." ACDI/VOCA shared in honoring individuals who dedicate themselves to taking action to solve problems—not just in their communities but in our wider world. Here are five stories of recent service that exemplify what our volunteer program is about.
|
ACDI/VOCA Sponsors West Bank Cooperative Conference  ACDI/VOCA and the Palestinian Ministry of Planning and Labor hosted representatives from more than 250 cooperatives at a daylong conference to discuss the progress of the cooperative movement in the West Bank and Gaza, the challenges cooperatives are facing and recommendations for moving forward. Titled “Realities and Prospects of the Palestinian Cooperative Movement,” the conference assessed the current situation for cooperatives and analyzed how to improve legal and financial structures to support their growth. The opening session featured welcoming statements from Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Minister of Planning and Labor Samir Abdallah, USAID/West Bank and Gaza Mission Director Howard Sumka, ACDI/VOCA Senior Vice President of Food Security Avram E. “Buzz” Guroff, and International Labour Organization Representative Mounir Kleibo. Panelists discussed the legal and regulatory environment, capacity building and cooperative financing, and engaged the audience in animated discussion throughout the day. More.
|
SUCCESS Alliance Farmers Provide Beans for New Davao Specialty Dark Chocolate Bar
 U.S.-based Askinosie Chocolate Company recently launched a new “Davao 77% Dark Chocolate Bar,” made from cocoa beans produced by Davao City farmers in the Philippines, including ACDI/VOCA beneficiaries under our SUCCESS Alliance program. The bars are available now in the U.S. and represent the first time a chocolate maker has imported Filipino cocoa beans in 25 years. In September 2008, Askinosie started buying organically produced cocoa beans from smallholder farmers in Davao City. ACDI/VOCA and its partners facilitated the purchase and consolidation of beans, working with farmer field school (FFS) groups to take advantage of their increased marketing power. Charita Puentespina of the Golden Sunset Farm, a SUCCESS Alliance beneficiary and supporter, organized the collection, processing, sorting and dispatching of the cocoa beans to Askinosie, which is based in Springfield, Mo. Approximately 200 farmers, of whom approximately 90 percent are from SUCCESS Alliance FFSs, benefited from the purchase. More.
|
ACDI/VOCA-Colombia Exhibits at SCAA Expo in Atlanta
Displaying festive decorations and specialty coffee produced by smallholder producers, ACDI/VOCA’s USAID Specialty Coffee Program exhibited at the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) 21st Annual Conference and Exhibition, April 16-19, in Atlanta, Ga. From producers to baristas, the SCAA event brought together a wide range of specialty coffee industry players. The exposition included over 800 booths, over 30 lectures, the World Barista Championship, and the launch of the first U.S. Taster’s Championship. More.
|
ICT Initiative Named Finalist in 2008 NASSCOM Innovation Competition
 The NASSCOM Innovation Awards, one of the most prestigious awards programs within the IT industry, has named an IT platform developed by Infosys Technologies Ltd. under ACDI/VOCA’s Implementation Grant Proposal a runner-up finalist for the 2008 Business Innovation Award. NASSCOM promotes innovation within the Indian IT community and recognizes the best innovators in the Indian industry each year. Six runner-up finalists from 2008 received recognitions in the competition.
The platform, freshConnect, is an information communication technology (ICT)-based information dissemination solution for horticulture supply chain management. ACDI/VOCA partnered with Indian IT giant Infosys to develop the application in order to connect all aspects of the Indian fresh produce supply chain and boost incomes of smallholder farmers. More.
|
Kumar Speaks at Fresh Produce India Conference
On April 3, ACDI/VOCA-India Program Manager Krishna Kumar participated as a speaker at the Fresh Produce India Conference, the only fresh produce conference in India and the largest in the region. Kumar, who manages the USAID-funded Implementation Grant Proposal, spoke at a session titled “New Solutions to the Old Problems,” which outlined innovative approaches to India's traditional supply chain problems. Asiafruit Magazine organized the 2-day conference, which was held in Mumbai and in which 240 industry leaders from 20 countries participated. More.
|
Anderson Presents on Public-Private Alliances at USAID Conference in Jordan
ACDI/VOCA-Egypt Country Representative Douglas Anderson presented at USAID’s Driving Growth Through Innovation and Enterprise Development conference held April 28-29 in Jordan. Anderson participated in a panel discussion on public-private sector alliances and spoke about the successes and lessons learned from ACDI/VOCA's ongoing Alliance for Progress in Egyptian Horticulture program. The event was sponsored by the USAID/Jordan mission for regional implementers, development practitioners and businesses. It focused on four themes: making businesses more competitive, building effective alliances, tourism and “greening” a business. More.
|
Namken Recognized for Developing Microfinance in Iraq
On March 30 ACDI/VOCA’s Nadia Namken, chief of party for the Iraq Access to Credit project, received a certificate of recognition from Tijara for helping to develop microfinance in the country. Tijara, which means “trade” in Arabic, is a large USAID project that promotes private sector growth and employment in Iraq. This is the top honor given by Tijara, and only one person is recognized each year. More.
|
Invitation to ACDI/VOCA's screening of Pray the Devil Back to Hell
 On June 8, 2009, at 2 p.m., join ACDI/VOCA for a screening of the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell, which follows a group of brave and visionary women who demand peace for Liberia amidst a decades-old civil war. The film won the title of best documentary at the 2008 Tribera Film Festival. The screening will be held on the 4th floor of 50 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C.,
and followed by a panel discussion of ACDI/VOCA’s development efforts in Liberia. For more information, contact Laura Stein at lstein@acdivoca.org.
To RSVP, click here. If you RSVP "Yes" but you find that you cannot attend, please e-mail lstein@acdivoca.org.
Space is limited; please RSVP no later than Friday, May 22nd.
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
 |
2009 Success Story Contest Winner Announced
ACDI/VOCA's Second Annual Success Story Contest yielded a wealth of inspiring stories that illustrate our work around the world. The contest is open to all employees, volunteers and interns at ACDI/VOCA and gives them an opportunity to use the art of storytelling to describe our programs and the impact they have, whether on an individual, a community or a country. This year's winner was David Lukungu of the Uganda Title II PL 480 program, for his story “Can Oroma Group,” which described a farmers’ group that, despite terrible odds, is now thriving in northern Uganda.
To read the full story, click here.
|
|
 |
 |
Sudan: $4.1 million subaward for the USAID-funded Building Responsibility for the Delivery of Government Services (BRIDGE) Program to lead food security and economic growth activities. |
|
Afghanistan: $20 million subaward under the USAID-funded Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North, East and West program (IDEA-NEW) to promote licit and sustainable commercial agriculture and related agribusiness in provinces affected by poppy growing.
|
|
Kenya: initiative to support the East African Grain Council in the preparation, updating and execution of a detailed grain warehouse receipts implementation plan. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RSS