Climate change is wreaking havoc on livelihoods and food security outcomes in the lowlands of Ethiopia. Timely access to climate information services (CIS) can play a key role in enabling producers to manage their livelihoods in the face of uncertainty and mitigate the impact of shocks, but these systems are largely absent in the lowlands. This learning brief describes how CARE International, through the Mercy Corps-led RIPA-North program, is working to foster locally driven services for climate and early warning information. The brief highlights the impact this is having in terms of household-level decision-making and also the challenges of achieving long-term sustainability of these systems.
This learning brief explores Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) as a potential solution to sustainably address existing organizational and institutional challenges in agro-sylvopastoral value chains in the delta area (Mopti-Tombouctou). The brief highlights how these platforms are increasingly at the forefront of all marketing events to foster sustainable markets linkages between different value chain actors, negotiate contracts, and access financial services to create inclusive and profitable market opportunities for small-scale farmers and businesses. Read More
The Rupantaran project builds on a decade of work with landless and smallholder farmers in rural Nepal to increase resilience and improve their livelihoods. Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) were added to the Farmer Field and Business School (FFBS) model as a key way to challenge social norms around women’s participation and decision making, explore opportunities and promote economic empowerment. Read More
The Her Money, Her Life project in Tanzania is maximizing the potential benefits women receive from their crops through a focus on entrepreneurship and collective investment. This brief outlines how the project uses VSLAs as a platform to address root causes of gender inequality. Read More