FARMER-TO-FARMER


Overview

The Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program provides technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, and other agricultural sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. The program aims to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural processing, productions, and marketing, as well as to increase the U.S. public’s understanding of international development issues and programs. The F2F program leverages the expertise of volunteers from U.S. farms, universities, cooperatives, private agribusinesses, and nonprofit farm organization to respond to local needs in host-countries.

The Smith Center leads the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOFT) regional Farmer-to-Farmer program for Southeast Asia. ALOFT is implemented in partnership with a regional consortium of universities in Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. ALOFT supports youth-led and youth-serving institutions to build more resilient and inclusive food systems through demand-driven technical exchanges with U.S. volunteers. The program seeks to integrate youth into agricultural value chains through four areas of voluntary technical assistance:

  1. Climate smart agriculture
  2. Agricultural entrepreneurship and agribusinesses
  3. Agricultural education
  4. Extension and advisory services

We are recruiting experts for F2F volunteer assignments in Southeast Asia, starting in the summer of 2024.

Funding

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Implementing Partners

Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) at the Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Central Philippines State University (CPSU), Kabankalan, Philippines

Can Tho University (CTU), Can Tho, Vietnam

Project Dates

October 2023 – September 2028

Team

Brian Flanagan
Program Director
bflanag2@utk.edu

Hans Goertz
Associate Program Director
hgoertz@utk.edu

David Ader
Research Asst Professor & Smith Center Assistant Director
dader@utk.edu

Morgan Owens
Program Manager – Volunteer Recruiter
mowens48@utk.edu

Gracie Pekarcik
Program Manager – Host Coordinator
gpekarci@utk.edu

Michelle Boutell
Graduate Research Assistant
mboutell@vols.utk.edu

Ana Maria Greenberger
Graduate Research Assistant
agreenb5@vols.utk.edu