An internship training workshop built capacity to support improvement planning of producer groups and associations in the Caribbean.
CASTRIES, St. Lucia, October 11, 2016 (IICA). Members of the Belle Vue Farmers’ Cooperative and IICA technicians from Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname Have Been trained on a methodology for associative capacity building internships for Aimed at improvement planning in agricultural producer Organizations / associations on three key operational areas Namely; socio-organizational, added value and access to markets. The training was a train-the-trainer session host Which would allow producer groups and IICA National Specialist to introduce the concept for assessment of Strengths and weaknesses and the development of improvement plans to address the prioritized Weaknesses.
The training focused on supporting peer-to-peer learning as an approach to building capacity of producer groups as well as likelihood of adoption of Improving recommended solutions. Support for the training was provided under IICA’s Flagship Caribbean Project: Productivity and Sustainability of Family Agriculture for Food Security and the Rural Economy, and was led by Margarita Baquero, Leader for Component 4 focusing on Strengthening of the Family Farming associative Processes for food security and rural economy.
“This intervention is Important to building IICA’s capabilities to work in a meaningful way With its partner producer groups and associations to build good governance structures That are at the center of making them more profitable and sustainable,” Stated John King, IICA’s Representative in the Eastern Caribbean States.
Were the sessions held in Soufriere at the Office of the Belle Vue Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited (BVFC) and ran from October 11-13, 2016. The activity was Facilitated by Margarita Baquero, Component 3 Leader of the Family Agriculture Flagship from the IICA With delegation in Ecuador and support of Dr. Kurt Manrique Focal Component 3 for the Caribbean Region. Trainees included the General Manager and Projects Manager of the Belle Vue Farmers’ Cooperative Society Limited, two of Their members and mentees from Partner Organizations, and National Specialists from IICA Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia.
The workshop format revolved around country presentations on Strengths and weaknesses of producer groups in the Represented country clubs, group discussions to specify the cause (s) of the key Weaknesses and options for remedying the same, as well as field visits to see and learn more about Processes of the operational BVFC in support of the key operational areas of the internship methodology
“We hope to Use this methodology to Develop a structured, long-term Programme for Strengthening the producer groups That Works with IICA in St Lucia. Peer-to-peer learning is an attractive format for doing so and Present Allows the groups to build rewarding partnerships With each other “, added Brent Theophile, IICA Specialist in Saint Lucia National.
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