Central America

TechnoServe programs in 10 countries interviewed smallholder farmers to see how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how they are responding to the crisis.

In this series, we check back with TechnoServe program participants who were previously featured on our blog, documenting how their lives have changed and progressed. María Castillo is a farmer and the president of the Mujeres Valientes association, which sells drought-resistant beans and other agricultural supplies to farmers in southern Honduras.

We can learn a lot about solving youth unemployment by paying attention to young entrepreneurs. Changemakers like Violeta Martinez are eager to share lessons that are both context specific and universally relevant.

In Honduras, TechnoServe is helping coffee farmers like Luis Olvera improve their coffee and join local producer organizations. In doing so, they can connect to better markets and sell their coffee in bulk directly to exporters, gaining better prices and better livelihoods.

As international demand for avocado has increased, more farmers have started to clear forested areas to plant additional avocado trees. In Guatemala, TechnoServe is helping farmers improve their harvests and access higher-value markets while continuing to protect nearby forests.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the potential for a global food crisis. In Honduras, bean producers play an important role in increasing food security. We talked to Tomás Membreño, chief of party for the MAS 2.0 program, to learn how they are improving their livelihoods and contributing to food security through this crisis.

Read about TechnoServe's partnership with the Walmart Foundation to help smallholder farmers access more productive and profitable supply chains in Central America.