COVID-19

Response, Recovery, Resilience: Smallholder Farmers and COVID-19

TechnoServe is helping farming families in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia respond to the pandemic, recover from the crisis, and build resilience to future threats. Our new report shows how, with the right support, these farmers can overcome immense obstacles and emerge from the crisis in a position to participate in economic recovery.

What’s Next for Agriculture in India?

India’s agricultural sector is projected to see a significant reduction in supply, demand, and value because of the COVID-19 pandemic. TechnoServe India Fellow Amy Yang and India Country Director Punit Gupta discuss how we can safeguard farmers through it.

How Coffee Farmers are Responding to COVID-19

With much of the world under lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID-19, many people are changing the way they consume coffee — with significant implications for the entire coffee industry. We talked to Paul Stewart, TechnoServe’s global coffee director, to find out how the pandemic has impacted the coffee supply chain and what TechnoServe is doing to help.

COVID-19 and the Cashew Industry in Benin

In Benin, cashew farmers are facing many challenges as they try to adapt to rapidly changing conditions due to COVID-19. We talked to Nicholas Mancus, TechnoServe’s chief of party for the BeninCajù program, to learn about the challenges these farmers are facing, how the pandemic is impacting women and men differently, and what TechnoServe is doing to help.

Africa’s Food Processing Businesses and a Looming Food Security Crisis

Food processors are an essential part of the food system in Africa, providing safe, shelf-stable food to consumers and a reliable market for millions of smallholder farmers. But they are currently facing unprecedented challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We talked to Brent Wibberley, TechnoServe’s director of food processing and nutrition, to learn how the food system in Africa is changing and what TechnoServe is doing to help food processors adapt.

3 Principles for Providing Remote Support to Farmers and Small Businesses Around the World

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted farmers and entrepreneurs around the globe and has made it much more difficult for organizations to offer in-person support. How can these organizations provide this critical guidance remotely? TechnoServe identified three key principles for providing effective phone-based support when in-person training is not possible.

The Face Behind the Mask: Gomti Devi

Gomti Devi is a smallholder guar farmer in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, whose training from a previous TechnoServe program is helping her withstand the COVID-19 crisis. Having learned how to sew and to grow her own food, Gomti is saving money, reducing her risks — and now, giving back to protect the wider community.

Empowering Shopkeepers in Times of Crisis

In Kenya, the coronavirus pandemic is presenting new challenges for shopkeepers who must continue supplying their customers with essential goods, even amidst a global crisis. We talked to Alice Waweru, TechnoServe’s entrepreneurship regional program manager, about the challenges these micro-retailers are facing and what TechnoServe is doing to help.