Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Family farming Rural development

IICA Hosts Training on Facilitating Associative Internships for Skills Building on Family Agriculture

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

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.      

More information:

brent.theopile@iica.int  

Share

Related news​

En la sesión especial por el 50 aniversario del IFPRI se presentaron las principales tendencias, retos y oportunidades de los sistemas alimentarios globales y regionales, a partir del Informe sobre la política alimentaria mundial 2025 y la iniciativa Avanzar 2030. En la mesa principal estuvieron: Pablo Gianatiempo (IFPRI), Joaquín Arias (IICA), Valeria Piñeiro (IFPRI), Manuel Otero (Director General del IICA), Eugenio Díaz Bonilla (asesor de IICA), Vanessa Pereira (EMBRAPA), Paolo de Salvo (BID) y Jorge Rueda (IFPRI).

San José, Costa Rica

October 13, 2025

In a dialogue convened by IICA and its regional partners, experts outline how Latin America and the Caribbean can accelerate the transformation of its agrifood systems

The discussion focused on how the evolution of food systems over the past 50 years has impacted the challenges and opportunities for LAC; the vision for the region’s food systems for the year 2030 and beyond; which policy interventions and institutional innovations have demonstrated the greatest potential to have an impact, and how they can be scaled or adapted to diverse country contexts; and how governments, civil society and the private sector can collaborate more effectively to translate long-term visions into viable coordinated strategies.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José, Costa Rica

October 13, 2025

Public policy specialists gathered at IICA highlight transformative experiences in their countries to strengthen agrifood systems governance

Experts and representatives of governments, international agencies and the private and academic sectors gathered at IICA to share successful policies that promote family farming, technology access and competitiveness in several countries of the Americas, and that have strengthened governance as a pillar for the transformation of agrifood systems.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Brasilia

October 13, 2025

Brazil will host the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, which will feature discussions that are critical to the future of agriculture in the hemisphere

Brazil will host the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of the Americas 2025, where participants will discuss key issues for the present and future of the hemisphere’s agriculture sector and food security, focusing on science, technology and innovation in production transformation.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins