Family farming in Colombia would benefit from more dynamic mechanisms to access markets because of a long chain of intermediaries that reduces the profit of smallholder producers. <br />
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This problem is widely-shared among many other developing countries, but some have found effective solutions to address this challenge. It is the case of Brazil for example, which has developed very relevant experience in connecting smallholder farmers to markets through over fifteen years of the implementation of the Brazilian national school meals programme. The Government of Brazil, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), has developed a South-South Cooperation programme to promote its innovative approach to allow for an increase in income and business capabilities of smallholder families in other developing countries, by linking them to providers of public food-based social programs.<br />
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One of the countries supported by this programme is Colombia, through the Colombia-Brazil South-South Cooperation program (July 2014-April 2016). Beneficiaries of the programme were Colombian smallholder agricultural producer families, with incomes of less than USD 200 per month. The programme targeted twelve organizations of smallholder farmers and three hundred families from the Colombian municipalities of Grenada, Carmen de Viboral and Cáceres in the Antioquia region; and of Córdoba and Samaniego in the Nariño Region. The program supported ethnic communities and victims of violence in the zones affected by armed conflict, prioritizing women’s participation. The Brazilian methodology was shared through workshops that were developed locally between smallholder farmers and central and local government officials.<br />
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The project was a joint collaboration between the Government of Brazil, WFP and FAO, with the support and collaboration of the Presidential Agency for International Cooperation of Colombia. The Brazilian Government, in addition to contributing with its experience in institutional procurement models, financed this project in Colombia. The Government of Colombia involved the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Education and Agriculture along with the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, amongst others. These institutions provided technical support and follow-up to the initiatives generated locally. FAO provided technical support to participants and their families in the application of good agricultural practices in crops, carried out training in associativity and business methods for this sector. WFP developed procurement models for the producers involved in the project as well as provided marketing training and support in developing business agreements.<br />
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Ultimately, the joint Colombia-Brazil South-South Cooperation program achieved the commercial linkage of 1000 small holder producers to local markets.<br />
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For the complete overview of this solution, please click on the PDF-file at the bottom of the page. <br />