Hi there,
A short update on the work of the past few weeks!
The team has been busy with meetings and calculations to get a handle on the project. We visited the different municipalities where the project will take place, joining their monthly meetings. We were welcomed by village representatives and community members interested in participating. These meetings created space to brainstorm and collaboratively shape the project setup.
The team presented the initial project ideas, followed by an open discussion about participants’ needs, desires, and concerns. Interestingly, many similarities emerged across the different regions. Here are some key takeaways:
Crop selection was an important topic. Based on soil conditions, past farming experiences, and yield potential, sorghum and simsim emerged as the most popular options. Sorghum is particularly promising because the team already has a connection with a commercial buyer who works with smallholder farmers and provides support in monitoring and quality control. Simsim just came out as a very exciting crop, due to its strong potential as a high-value crop ánd who does not love their odii with some simsim ;)? .
One of the most important points raised was the desire of participating women to receive seeds to cultivate on their own land, combined with secure market access. They expressed a clear ambition to move beyond solely rely on paid labour and towards more independent sources of income. At the same time, more work on the community farm will then be available for those without access to land.
The group also discussed contract farming agreements and crop insurance. These are critical, as many farmers have experienced—or witnessed—unfair and highly fluctuating prices at harvest time. Without proper storage facilities, farmers are often forced to sell immediately, giving middlemen disproportionate power to dictate low prices and capture most of the profit.
Climate change was another major concern. Increasingly unpredictable rainfall, prolonged droughts, and shorter or delayed rainy seasons are making farming more uncertain and risky. A crop insurance will ensure continuation of the project next season.
Taking all these insights into account, the team has gone back to the drawing board to adjust the project plan and budget. This includes allocating additional resources for seeds, crop insurance, and essential tools. Thereby having to decrease the amount of community acres, for now at least.
The coming weeks we’ll be going back to the communities to discuss the last details before kicking off with the land preparations in May!
Stay tuned, and let’s hope for the rains to come soon!
