Description of the Program:  

Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) serves as the lead implementer for the Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) to address deficits in the financial ecosystem hindering investment and growth in agriculture for individual farmers, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through the delivery of volunteer technical assistance. IESC has designed a thematic F2F program to generate sustainable, broad-based economic growth and create jobs in the agricultural sector with a special focus on assistance to women and youth. Focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, and Liberia, the F2F A2F Program will work with local partner organizations and volunteer hosts to field pro bono experts from the U.S. agriculture, corporate, and banking sectors to address systemic capacity constraints for farmers and lenders in each targeted country and unlock finance for improved agricultural production leading to utilization of agricultural technologies and increased sales and incomes. 

Problem Statement:  

Horticulture in Tanzania is a tremendous opportunity to enhance income, improve nutritional outcomes, engage women and youth, and create jobs throughout the value chain. As Tanzanian society has become more conscious of healthier dietary and lifestyle choices, there has been an increasing demand for diversified food products including fruits and vegetables. However, horticulture crop production continues to be dominated by smallholders and farmer groups with more than 80% of farmsless than 2 ha. These smallholder horticulture farmers are faced with several challenges including marketing and limited market information. Smallholders in rural areas are often poorly linked to markets. They cannot adequately access functional market information, so they sell their produce in informal markets in the surrounding communities. These farmers are excluded from many of the most profitable channels, such as direct sales to supermarkets, exports, and access to contract agreements. Since many small-scale farmers do not have negotiation skills to determine prices for their bulk horticulture produce, the market  does not allow small producers to raise prices on their produce. Often middlemen make much higher profit margins than the producers which limits the incentive for  smallholder farmers to expand production.  

The Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program has partnered with an Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (AMCOS) group in a rural area in the Geita region of Tanzania whose members are engaged in small-scale horticultural farming; they grow their own food, and their income is mostly centred within the small-scale horticulture sector. The AMCOS’ main horticulture crops market is a mining company in the region that consume 35% of their produce. The informal market purchases 35% of produce, but they struggle to sell the remaining 30% of produce. The AMCOS members have already received training on horticulture crops farming from the mining company to help the farmers produce quality fruits and vegetables (driving the farmers to produce what the mining company requires). However, despite producing sufficient quality and quantity of horticulture crops, limited access to formal markets leaves members to remain poor and vulnerable. The AMCOs needs support to better understand the horticulture market, increase their access to market information, and link  farmers to new markets. This will enable small-scale farmers to increase production, income, and  food security in rural areas. 

F2F A2F is recruiting a U.S. citizen or permanent resident experienced volunteer expert in agriculture crops market research to help AMCOS members access horticulture crop market information and connect them to formal markets 

Objectives of the Assignment:   

Deliverables: 

Additional Travel Information: 

Volunteer Outreach:   

USAID and IESC encourage all F2F A2F volunteers to participate in public outreach. An important objective of the program is to increase awareness of Americans’ good work in developing countries. Volunteers should select at least one outreach activity from the list below, to be completed within one month of return to the US:   

Requested Expertise of Volunteer Expert: