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Learning Route Morocco - Working together to gain

Posted by Greg Benchwick Friday, March 8, 2013 0 comments

By ANCA

The learning route on Producers´ Organisations has finished with the first case, which was ANCA, National Association of Women´s Cooperatives of Argan oil. Argan oil comes from the nuts of a special Moroccan tree, and it has many cosmetic and consumption functions.

The ruteros of the learning route visited the cooperative of Tamaynoute and had meetings with members of the ANCA bureau and of two intermediary structures, which are unions and an Economic Interest Groups (GIEs). This probably sounds complicated, and indeed, it took quite some questions and answers before we had it all clear!

Women work in cooperatives at village level, cracking of argan nuts to collect the almonds. After grinding the almonds by hand, some cooperatives with machines do the pressing of the oil and the packing themselves, others send the almonds to their union to take care of it. The GIE and the union represent cooperatives in commerce and economic transactions with foreign clients. ANCA is the umbrella organization with a merely social function of representing women’s cooperatives in (inter)national meetings and fairs, organizing trainings, literacy courses and managing a credit fund.

´Women gain a lot when they work in groups,´ was the clear statement by Ahmed Abdalghani from Sudan. He was impressed by the organization of women and the impact of it on their production and on themselves. Certainly a lesson to take home.

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Learning = working

Posted by Greg Benchwick 0 comments

By Mireille Vermeulen- ILEIA
 
A Learning Route is a continuous process of training in the field organized thematically around successful experiences, case studies and best practices on innovative rural and local development in which local actors themselves become trainers.

The first learning route in Morocco on Producers´ Organisations has started! Hammou Laamrani, director of Karianet, was very clear on the first day Monday 25th of February: the learning route is a hard and tiring work. And the ruteros have sensed it at the end of the first day: a long day of explanations, presentations and discussions.

But the ruteros who did inform themselves about the learning route before their application, could have known reading the definition of a learning route as used by PROCASUR, the oganisation that developed this methodology:

When we start decorticating this definition, we sense easily the first dimension of the word: learning is an active verb. The dictionary mentions: gathering, assimilating, studying, discovering, teaching, informing, practicing, repeating, initiating, instructing, doing, explicating, finding, observing. One immediately realizes that it is quite an exercise. At least 14 different activities to find some innovations and practices!

The second dimension is the double side of the process: in the learning route, some ruteros are experts in their profession and become students during the route. At the other side, there are local actors who are experts of specific experiences  and who become the teachers during the route. The two change roles. Imagine the efforts this takes on the ruteros and the local hosting organisations!

The third dimension is linked to the process of traveling: the route started on the 25th of February in Agadir and will end the 4th of March in Meknès. The experiences during the route will determine the final lessons. Moreover, the result is an Innovation Plan, to be implemented in the home organization, so it is only the start! Hard work indeed, this learning route…

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Taking the learning route to Morocco

Posted by Greg Benchwick 0 comments

By ILEIA
Twenty participants from nine countries in northern Africa and the Middle East and a support team of experts from four other countries are gathered in Agadir since February 25th, for taking a Learning Route in Morocco on Producers’ Organisations.

The 13 nationalities form the ingredients for a multicultural experience of learning and a recipe for participatory knowledge building and exchange. The Learning Route is a concept developed by the Latin American organisation Procasur (www.procasur.org) (another international condiment for the learning experience!). The idea is that local actors (finishing touch by the chef cook) with certain good practices share their experiences with the participants of the route, whom at their turn formulate innovation plans to implement in their home situations, based on this learning. ILEIA travels with them and documents the experiences of participants and local actors.

The Learning Route is more than the usual study tour, for the participants have to be more committed, as well as their organisations, who accept the implementation of the innovation plans. But local actors also have more responsibilities: they become the teachers and trainers of the participants during the route. It means that their knowledge is acknowledged, often for the first time. Imagine the impact of this validation!

The Learning Route in Morocco will focus on Producers’ Organisations, to understand the good experiences in this country with cooperatives at local level and their umbrella associations at higher levels. The first organisation that will share its experiences is ANCA (www.anca.ma), the
national association of women cooperatives for the production of argan oil, a Moroccan specialty.

The second is COPAG (www.copag.ma), a cooperative representing almost 13,000 cattle producers and owning a big company manufacturing fruit and dairy products. The third is the sheep and goat organisation ANOC (www.anoc.ma), working in close cooperation with the state for the genetic improvement of small ruminants.

Follow us in the coming days and hear more about the learning in this route!


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Learning Route in Morocco

Posted by Greg Benchwick 0 comments

Meeting Successful Farmers’ Organizations 
After many Learning Routes in South America, Asia and East Africa, the first Learning Route in the MENA region has started on Monday 25th of February in Morocco. PROCASUR  has taken the opportunity to organize this route on Farmers´ Organizations (FOs), together with Karianet (www.karianet.org), ILEIA (www.ileia.org) and Diversity and Development (an international organization based in Morocco). 

In Morocco, Farmers’ Organizations play an important role in promoting rural development. The government’s development strategy is partially based on the experiences of successful FOs. The Learning Route will pass through the regions of Agadir, Taroudant and Mekès to visit three of them.

The first one has been ANCA, the National Association of women’s Cooperatives on Argan oil.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the ruteros had meetings with some of the members of ANCA´s bureau. Their presentations and discussions made clear that one of the biggest difficulties has been to convince men and women of the relevance of cooperatives. It took a long time before everyone saw the positive impact on income, women´s capacities and market access, but times seem to have changed now and there is general appreciation for the work of cooperatives.

On Tuesday the ruteros also went to visit the cooperative of Tamaynout. The women showed the different stages of argan oil production. After collection this starts with cracking the nuts, to acquire the almonds. These are roasted if they are being processed into consumption oil, this roating is not needed in case of cosmetic oil. Then the almonds are pressed into oil, filtered and packaged. Some cooperatives have their own machines for pressing and filtering, other cooperatives send it to their union which own the equipment.

The lessons of ANCA’s experience that the ruteros will take are very divers and provide many ideas for implementation back home. ‘I’m still dazzled with all the innovate practices that I have see here,’ said one of the ruteros, ‘this is such a rich experience!’

The participants of the route learned that governance structures and objectives at different levels of the organization, the valorization of women’s work at village level, the added value of processing, packaging and marketing are all elements that have contributed to the success of the cooperatives.

But also the social function of ANCA was very much appreciated: ANCA represents women and given visibility to women’s role in argan production.

The ruteros will work out their dazzling ideas and leave Morrocco with a concrete Innovation Plan to implement in their own countries. First they travel on the second case. We will keep you posted!

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A battle on every front: how to fight violence against women

Posted by Hazel Bedford 0 comments

I remember a time a while back when I proposed to colleagues that we run a story on violence against women and I was told that gender-based violence was ‘not on our agenda’ – and in any case there were sensitivities, cultural differences to respect.
Thankfully, today that tune has changed. Sign up to your favourite social media channels and you’ll be overwhelmed by thousands of voices sharing their stories, calling for action, agitating as loud as they can. The theme for the UN Observance of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Time for action to end violence against women”.
That’s a sea change – or perhaps just the beginning of a sea change. Now that gender-based violence is no longer taboo, we’re beginning to understand in more detail what a massive, intractable challenge it is.
A tweet from The Elders today says that at least 1 in 3 women around the world have been beaten, coerced into sex or abused. Chilling statistics show that in some countries as many as 75% of women think being beaten for burning food, arguing or refusing to have sex with your husband is acceptable.
It’s one thing to sign up to the fact that male violence against women is a burning tragic issue that should concern us all. It’s another thing to muster the collective energies and perspectives of disparate groups and movements across the globe to look at the myriad causes, and to search for solutions that will stick.
On this year’s International Women’s Day, debates have been taking place around the world, not just to put gender-based violence in the spotlight, but to deepen our understanding about what triggers it and how to win the battle against it.

IFAD's gender team at the International Women's Day 2013 event hosted at World Food Programme

In Rome, the UN agencies that focus on food security, agriculture and rural development – FAO, IFAD and WFP – held a very interesting discussion on the nexus between gender-based violence and food security. The International Development Law Organization also took part in the event, which was hosted by WFP and supported by the Government of Iceland.
The panel redressed the typical UN gender imbalance – with 1 male and 3 female panellists. In the Italian tradition, the audience wore festive sprays of yellow mimosa. The Director General of the International Development Law Organization, Irene Khan, opened by saying “For me, every day is women’s day.”
Khan talked about the inequality in her own culture where “law has not been on the side of women and even today they are not equal under the law in some areas”.  And she pointed out that “women are trapped in a gap of not receiving justice in informal or formal systems”. Looking towards solutions, Khan said “Legal empowerment works best when approached holistically. It needs to go hand in hand with social and political empowerment…. IDLO has started to use the phrase ‘culture of justice’, rather than rule of law because it is all of these things working together that lead not only to justice, but to empowerment as well.”
Lourdes Tibán, current Assembly Member of the Legislative Body of Ecuador, reminded the audience of the importance of change beginning at home: “Work needs to begin in the family,” she said. “We need to give a role to – yeah – our sons and men to wash the dishes, everyone needs to be equal.”
She went on to stress the need for change outside the home too: “Women need access to seeds and land. Women need to be part of international trade. Women need to be able to sell their surpluses,” she said. “I think that’s how you reduce violence.”
IFAD’s Cheryl Morden closed the event and you can read her remarks here.

The panel discussion closed on an upbeat and hopeful note with UN Women’s song for International Women’s Day 2013 – One Woman 

Pro-Rural Poor Public and Private Partnership in Lao PDR. Learning from best practices and successful strategies in Attapeu Province.

Posted by Cecina 1 comments

From the 25 February to the 1st of March, the Learning Route on Pro-Rural Poor Public and Private Partnership took place in Attapeu province, Lao PDR. Farmers and staff from IFAD programme and projects in Lao PDR found in the LR an opportunity to learn from successful experiences in small rural
business developed in the frame of Public and Private Partnerships and supported by the IFAD – Rural Livelihood Improvement Programme (RLIP).
This great experience is now completed (find the learning route intro post here).


What did we learn? What will we bring home?
During the Learning Route, the host communities invited participants to explore and to learn about the past and present situation of their villages. Cozy and joyful community meetings offered villagers the moment to tell about their story, explaining the main changes occurred over time, the main occupation and livelihoods, and to share with participants their visions and expectations about the future. 

Participants had the chance to experience the reality of the daily life of these champion communities, today engaged in partnership with the Public and Private sector. Communities showed how they are able to conduct small rural-business by selling to private enterprises their products, such as organic asparagus, natural dye textiles and organic coffee, counting on the support of governmental program.

Demonstration of asparagus sale, Darkhied village (Organic Asparagus Producers Group) 
Learning on the waving process of natural dyes textiles (Taliang Women Group)
Organic coffee nursery in Daxeum village (Organic Coffee Producers Group)


…lessons learned…
How to create and strengthen long-term partnerships with the public and the private sector to promote rural
business, its internal dynamics as well as the risks and opportunities for the parties to engage in such relationship, have been among the main lessons learned participants said they will “bring back home” along with new knowledge and ideas.

Community level
At community level, the presence of some elements has been recognized as key to establish a sustainable path for livelihoods improvement. The group cohesion, a shared willingness to achieve common objectives and a clear vision of the future, as key factor to mobilize people and to strengthen alliances over time; the accountability and the financial transparency within the same members of the group but also with external stakeholders and finally the equilibrated division of roles/responsibilities and an internal gender equity and participation in the group management and activities, are all element that should coexist at the same time. The presence of these elements will create internal cohesion of the group and a great sense of trust not only for the members but also for the external stakeholders like public and private sector that will be engaged in activities and business with them.

Private Sector
The identification of a private sector who is willing to undertake a long-term investment. Indeed the return of the investment will arrive, but on longer time basis. The private sector will have to engage concretely with the community development, supporting the village in its process of learning and practicing new “business skills”. A trustful relation between communities and village must be established and with that a long term plan with shared objectives, where at the first place there is the community livelihood enhancement, through the market income generation activities development.
Coordinating its activities with the public sector, the private investor will be able to achieve results more quickly, as the public sector play a crucial role not only in terms of supporting communities' mobilization and organization but also in terms of needed infrastructures for commerce.

Public Sector
The engagement of the public sector is fundamental in order to break the vicious circle of poverty in the rural communities. The public sector plays a fundamental role as interlink between the private sector, who otherwise would not be able to communicate and the communities. The public sector can protect the communities from unequal and unsustainable relations with the private sector, avoiding any type of exploitation (labor, land, rights etc). Moreover the public sector can address the knowledge needs and can create interlinks between villages. The public institutions can develop with the communities a larger scale plan for market sales development, giving more weight to the voice of united groups of farmers in their relation with the private sector.
Finally the public sector can support the group of farmers in learning how to establish contracts, negotiations and how to develop sustainable strategies to stand alone in front of the private sector once the production and the skills will be appropriately developed.

Sharing Risks and Benefits: inter-relations among PPP actors
Starting new income generation activities within a PPP system is an appropriate way to let rise the livelihood in rural community. Trustful relations among well organized entities is very important. To achieve this balance many changes must take place. Strengthened and fair organizations (farmers group, private and public institutions) must dialogue and plan together the objectives in the future, not only in economic terms (market), but also in terms of individual, social and environmental development.
At the very beginning of a public, private partnership each stakeholder risks something, on the other side, once the relation are well established and balanced, there is a big potential of social, and economic growth.  

The innovation plans

Rich discussions have been the basis for the design of 11 “Innovation plans” where the participants identified specific and pragmatic actions that could improve the livelihood of their communities.
An internal competition saw as first winners of the competitions the following innovation plans:

1st Position
RLIP- Strengthening farmers groups organizations for improved banana plantation productivity.
RLIP – Strengthening Asparagus Producers Group in Attapeu province.
SNRMPEP – Building farmers know-how for pig rising.
2nd position
RLIP – Food security improvement though enhanced group organization and crops plantation.
SNRMPEP – Enhancing farmers capabilities in coffee plantation and sales.
3rd position
SSSJ – Enhancing group organization and farmers knowledge in cardamom plantation in Sayaboury though farmers-to-farmers trainings..

A group formed by technical experts will evaluate the plans and will follow up in order to identify the “final winners”. More information will be soon available here: http://asia.procasur.org/portfolio_item/pro-rural-poor-public-and-private-partnership-in-lao-pdr/


Many thanks to...

Once again we would like to thanks the communities of Darkhied, Taliang and Daxeum for having taking part enthusiastically to the Learning Route. Their knowledge and attitude inspired all of us, their professionalism and attention to the m
A last but not least thanks goes in primis to RLIP who hosted the Learning Route, facilitate in terms of logistics and proactively participated in the learning process and in the discussions, and thanks again to SSSJ, SNRMPEP, Xaysetha Agriculture Office, Phouvong Agri Office in taking part into the LR and made this event so special.

























Additional info are available here (ProcasurAsia website)

Moving beyond the rhetoric

Posted by Roxanna Samii Thursday, March 7, 2013 0 comments

By Nicholas Phythian

Moving beyond the rhetoric...

For many reporters, the challenge at any international gathering is to get beyond the rhetoric and statistics and make it relevant for the reader, the listener or the viewer back home.

Sometimes a keynote speaker offers a peg, turning the meeting itself into a news event.

As delegates gathered in Rome for the annual meeting of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in the week that Pope Benedict announced his retirement, that was unlikely to happen.

A Thomson Reuters Foundation workshop on the fringe of the meeting offered journalists from around the world a chance to step back, share experiences and look for connections between what was happening in Rome and the reality back home.

“Every time, Reuters continues to enrich my pool of knowledge, and give me exposure to wonderful journalists and teachers from around the world,”  Farahnaz Zahidi Moazzam from Pakistan's Express Tribune wrote afterwards. “It makes me think outside my bubble and sharpen my skills.”

The workshop, which ran from 13-15 February 2013, brought together 21 radio, television and text journalists from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asian Republics. Each brought their own unique experience of reporting on rural poverty.

What's change? 

Persuading your editor to publish a story about rural development can be difficult at the best of times. One approach is to look for change, and its impact on real people.

In Rome, keynote speaker Hui Liangyu of China briefed delegates on rural development there, a far cry from the previous year when billionaire Bill Gates ruffled feathers with a speech calling for public 'scorecards' to monitor the impact of projects and increase accountability.

The presence of a Chinese vice premier was a huge boost for IFAD but he gave little away about China's policy on some of the thornier development questions of the day, or on how Beijing planned to partner IFAD.

The Fund, one of three UN food or agriculture agencies based in Rome, functions like a bank but offers its clients expertise that goes way beyond financial advice. It works in partnership with other members of the development community, and national governments.

The Pope found time to send a message to the IFAD Governing Council. There was the hint of another story, when a senior IFAD official said partners from oil-rich states wanted IFAD to do more for them … in terms of sharing knowledge.

Either might have worked for some news editors back home, but not for everyone. Workshop participants had to find alternative story options.

Facilitators Miren Gutierrez and Nicholas Phythian were on hand to highlight promising story ideas and likely angles.

Some participants came under intense pressure from news editors to get to St Peter's Square and file stories on reactions to the Pope's historic announcement. That they managed to file on that as well as follow the workshop was a tribute to their journalistic ingenuity.

Originally posted on TrustMedia Alumni blog