News
Member commitment can be influenced
From 25 to 28 October 2022 two consecutive member commitment workshops took place in Iringa, Tanzania. The main objective of these trainings is to give participating organisations insight into different types of member commitment and the importance of the concept.
The workshops were developed by Agriterra in cooperation with the National Cooperative Council and were initially designed to conduct with one cooperative at a time. The workshop ‘Member Commitment’ was piloted in Uganda in July 2022.
Organic certification to decommodify coffee
Kawa Kabuya, which means good coffee, is a cooperative of smallholding coffee farmers located in the territories of Beni and Lubero, in North Kivu, east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The cooperative was established in 2014 with the support of the Belgian development organisation VECO (now Rikolto) to give services to more than 2,000 smallholding coffee farmers (average of 0.5 Ha) in agricultural production, training, collection and processing coffee beans through micro washing station and the commercialisation of green coffee beans to local and international clients.
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Member Commitment Workshop
For cooperatives struggling with member commitment and loyalty
Member commitment is an important ingredient for the formation and existence of cooperatives. A member of a cooperative is committed when (s)he feels united and identifies oneself with the cooperative. A committed member accepts and supports the cooperative’s strategy, is prepared to deliver extra efforts for the cooperative, is prepared to participate in the decision-making process, has a desire to remain a member of the cooperative and accepts certain decisions due to advantages in the long-term.
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Women's council in Rwanda despite COVID-19!
By Guido Guerra, senior analyst
The cooperative Abadatezuka Ku Kirayi is a Rwandan primary cooperative of Irish potato farmers located in Musanze, north Rwanda. About half the members of the cooperative are women, but men consider themselves smarter and quicker making decisions, and do not give space to women in the decision-making process.
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Successful sustainable value chain support in Uganda
By Guido Guerra, senior analyst
The coffee value chain is one of the most important agricultural activities in Uganda. Coffee exports represent a major source of foreign currency for the country (17 percent of total exports), with an estimated 500,000 rural households which depend on coffee production.
Strategic planning in Burkina Faso
By Sy Alexandre Traoré, business advisor Burkina Faso
The “Union Provinciale des Sociétés Coopératives des Professionnels Agricoles de la Comoé (UPCPAC)" is a Union of Cooperatives for the production and processing and group sale of cereals and oilseeds. It has 917 members (590 men and 327 women) who farmed an area of 1017 hectares during the 2021-2022 season.
Cooperatives harness the power of exchange
By Jun Virola, business advisor
Agriterra has always believed in, and capitalised on peer to peer support among farmers and cooperatives.
This happens during customised advisory missions, practical training events, as well as study visits and knowledge exchanges.
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