Global Objectives

Inclusive Agricultural Growth Projects

Inclusive Agricultural Growth

Growth in the agriculture sector has been shown in some areas to be more effective than growth in other sectors at lifting men and women out of poverty — increasing food availability, generating income from production, creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities throughout value chains, and spurring growth in rural and urban economies. Fruit and vegetable production and markets have a big impact, as these crops generate high economic returns per unit of land. Farmers who grow high-value horticulture crops consistently earn more than those who grow other commodities, allowing smallholder farmers to derive additional income and driving agricultural and economic diversification. Innovation in horticulture crops, including postharvest entrepreneurial opportunities, offer increased production, value-added income, and long-term investment opportunities.

Young woman interviewing old woman in sparse room in light from doorway

Empowering women through horticulture in Honduras

Led by Janelle Larson, The Pennsylvania State University

In the Western Highlands of Honduras, families struggle to survive on subsistence agriculture. Poverty and malnutrition rates are high, and take a particularly heavy toll on women and children.

Honduras
Representative shows jar of seeds and drying beads to television reporter in Thailand.

Implementing drying beads for seeds in Asia and Africa

Led by Kent Bradford, University of California, Davis

Improving the ability of smallholder farmers to access high-quality seeds of improved varieties of horticultural crops is fundamental to increasing farmer productivity and incomes.

Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda
Man holds up drying beads to teach crowd with banner DAI USAID logos in background.

Scaling up seed-drying technology in Bangladesh

Led by Johan Van Asbrouck, Rhino Research

Providing smallholder farmers access to high-quality seeds of improved varieties of horticultural crops is fundamental to increasing productivity and incomes.

Bangladesh
University classroom with students and speaker

Building postharvest capacity in Tanzania

Led by Eleni Pliakoni, Kansas State University

Postharvest losses of fresh horticultural crops are a major challenge in Tanzania, with studies from Sokoine University of Agriculture estimating losses of fresh produce at 44-60 percent.

Tanzania
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Improved Nutrition Projects

Improved Nutrition

Undernutrition, particularly during the 1,000 days from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, leads to lower levels of educational attainment, productivity, lifetime earnings, and economic growth rates. Horticulture plays a unique role in ensuring access to and availability of diverse, nutritious food. Increased dietary diversity is highly correlated with better health, and thus reduction of malnutrition and stunting. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is one of the few dietary strategies that can help improve both undernutrition and overnutrition, which can co-exist even in the same household (the so-called "double burden of malnutrition" in transitioning economies).

Woman pets pig in the shade

Investigating integrated vegetable-livestock systems in Cambodia

Led by Jessie Vipham, Kansas State University
The goal of this project is to understand how integrated animal-horticulture systems are most feasible for smallholders by rigorously addressing — through interdisciplinary research — the potential of these systems with regard to sustainable production capacity, income generation, and gender dimensions.
Cambodia
women farmers harvesting leafy green vegetables inside nethouse

Building safe vegetable value chains in Cambodia

Led by Karen LeGrand, University of California, Davis

This international project team is focusing efforts on linking smallholder farmers to other value chain actors, to connect vegetable production with market demand.

Cambodia
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Resilience Projects

Resilience

Increasingly frequent, intense shocks and stresses threaten the ability of men, women, and families to emerge from poverty in a sustainable way.

Weighing passion fruit for sale in Rwanda

Engaging and understanding informal mid-stream actors in Nigeria and Rwanda

Led by Youri Dijkxhoorn
To enhance food system outcomes, such as accessible and affordable healthy diets, improvements in the mid-stream are needed. This raises the question: how can informal mid-stream actors be involved in addressing value chain challenges that impact the affordability and availability of healthy and safe foods for urban consumers? This project sets out to answer those questions.
Nigeria, Rwanda
Close-up on basket of tomatoes at a market in Rwanda

Reducing postharvest losses in Rwanda

Led by Gurbinder S. Gill, Agribusiness Associates Inc.

In 2014, the Rwandan National Horticulture Strategy estimates that 1 million rural households in Rwanda grow horticultural commodities, "principally for home use and sale.

Rwanda
Trainers talk to farmers about maintaining freshness and proper postharvest handling of various vegetable crops after harvest.

Opening a regional postharvest training center in Tanzania

Led by Diane Barrett, University of California, Davis
A year of training for postharvest experts from Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Benin and Gabon culminates in the establishment of a model Postharvest and Training Services Center in Tanzania--which the new experts emulate in their home countries.
Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, Benin, Gabon
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