News

Member Commitment Workshop

For cooperatives struggling with member commitment and loyalty

Member commitment is an important ingredient for the formation and existence of cooperatives. A member of a cooperative is committed when (s)he feels united and identifies oneself with the cooperative. A committed member accepts and supports the cooperative’s strategy, is prepared to deliver extra efforts for the cooperative, is prepared to participate in the decision-making process, has a desire to remain a member of the cooperative and accepts certain decisions due to advantages in the long-term.

Women's council in Rwanda despite COVID-19!

By Guido Guerra, senior analyst

The cooperative Abadatezuka Ku Kirayi is a Rwandan primary cooperative of Irish potato  farmers located in Musanze, north Rwanda. About half the members of the cooperative are women, but men consider themselves smarter and quicker making decisions, and do not give space to women in the decision-making process.

Successful sustainable value chain support in Uganda

By Guido Guerra, senior analyst

The coffee value chain is one of the most important agricultural activities in Uganda. Coffee exports represent a major source of foreign currency for the country (17 percent of total exports), with an estimated 500,000 rural households which depend on coffee production.

Strategic planning in Burkina Faso

By Sy Alexandre Traoré, business advisor Burkina Faso

The “Union Provinciale des Sociétés Coopératives des Professionnels Agricoles de la Comoé (UPCPAC)" is a Union of Cooperatives for the production and processing and group sale of cereals and oilseeds. It has 917 members (590 men and 327 women) who farmed an area of 1017 hectares during the 2021-2022 season. 

Cooperatives harness the power of exchange

By Jun Virola, business advisor

Agriterra has always believed in, and capitalised on peer to peer support among farmers and cooperatives. 
This happens during customised advisory missions, practical training events, as well as study visits and knowledge exchanges. 

The establishment of a new youth council

Quang Tho II Agricultural Cooperative (QTCO) in Vietnam is a multi-sectors services/business cooperative. The main production and business activities of the cooperative include the provision of services for agricultural production for 4 villages:
 i) Irrigation service;
ii) Land preparation services;
iii) Plant protection services;
iv) Production management and execution services;
v) Intra-field toll collection service;

The services of QTCO are similar to other traditional agricultural cooperatives in Vietnam.

Impact of an exchange visit and follow-up

By Edna Mekonnen, business advisor Ethiopia

At the beginning of 2021, Agriterra began collaborating with the Felagot Dairy Cooperative in Ethiopia as a part of the SNV BRIDGE initiative.
The cooperative had no office when we went for a scoping assignment, so we conducted it in the Kebele administration office. Agriterra discovered that the board members and hired personnel were highly committed to changing the cooperative's image, so we decided to proceed with the assessment by considering the cooperative's bright future. The cooperative has 206 members and gathers 2100 liters of milk per day during the assessment period.

Clear results at Fatima

By Guido Guerra, senior analyst

In the past years Agriterra has focused its efforts to scale up at Fatima’s cassava business unit in the Philippines.