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In this issue:
Empowering Youth
in
Cocoa Communities
Innovate
Arkansas
Initiative Launches
Rural Energy
Program
Vital in Making Georgian
SHPs Bankable
Wallace Center:
Call for Submissions
U.S. Programs
and Arkansas Women in Agriculture
Winrock Exhibits
at WIREC
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Winrock works
around the world helping to improve
lives and protect the environment.
Here's a sample of our latest
projects...
Supporting biofuel projects in Haiti, El
Salvador and the Dominican Republic
OAS CARIBBEAN BIOFUELS
Improving the supply and management of
energy in horticulture
HORTICULTURE ENERGY GUIDE
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U.S. Programs and Arkansas Women in Agriculture
Winrock actively supports Arkansas Women in
Agriculture, including their annual
conference. Donna Uptagrafft and Nancy Mancilla hosted a booth and presented information on "Finding New Markets for Goat Meat in Arkansas," the subject of a recent Federal State Marketing Improvement Program grant implemented by
U.S. Programs. The project focused on analyzing
regional markets for sheep and goat meat,
developing contracting mechanisms for direct marketing for
the products, and assisting farmers in market innovations.
The conference gave Winrock the opportunity to speak
to producers who are eager to find new avenues to market goats in
Arkansas' growing ethnic community.
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Visit our website
www.winrock.org
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Empowering Youth in Cocoa Communities
The Empowering Cocoa Households with Opportunities and Education Solutions (ECHOES) project is a two-year, $6.12 million
Global Development Alliance
that will strengthen cocoa-growing communities by expanding opportunities for youth through relevant education in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The alliance is funded by
USAID's Africa Education Initiative and
World Cocoa Foundation members
ED&F Man
Company, Ltd., Starbucks,
Kraft Foods, the Norwegian Association of Chocolate Manufacturers, the
Hershey
Company, Olam
International, Mars
Inc., and Cloetta Fazer. The governments of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire are key partners, and Winrock and
the International
Foundation for Education & Self-Help are the main implementing partners.
ECHOES will strengthen teacher skills, develop learning centers, provide family support
scholarships and teach relevant skills, including improved agriculture techniques, to thousands of local students and young adults. The end result of the alliance will be the validation of a replicable West African model of education
that improves child wellness and community sustainability.
Innovate Arkansas Initiative Launches
The creation of technology-based jobs is the primary goal of
Innovate
Arkansas, a new U.S. Programs initiative. The initiative was officially launched by Governor Mike Beebe, Winrock president Frank Tugwell, vice president for Enterprise and Agriculture, David Norman, and Innovate Arkansas executive director, Tom Dalton, at a February reception in Little Rock.
Beebe highlighted the importance of creating such jobs in Arkansas. "We want Arkansas to take her rightful place at the lead in regard to the new age economy. We do that with a combination public-private partnership. We do that with people like Winrock," he said.
Innovate Arkansas will assist Arkansas-based technology companies through the commercialization process, and will work closely with existing university research centers to assist technology innovations already identified in the university
settings. Innovate Arkansas will also help provide the business and financial support services that are needed. Innovate Arkansas is funded by the
Arkansas Economic Development
Commission.
Rural Energy Program Vital in Making Georgian SHPs Bankable
Following a request from the Georgian Ministry of
Energy, the USAID-funded Rural Energy Program hosted workshops and meetings to analyze and assist in the reform of the Georgian Electric Sector Market
Rules. Such changes will help create more favorable market conditions for small hydro generators to be commercially financed without the help of
USAID grants. The end result found the Georgian government changing the Market Rules to allow all SHPs to sell a portion of their output to the Electricity Sector Commercial Operator. This
led to inquiries from investors, whose investments will bring benefits to the country's energy security, employment and the growth of small- and medium-sized businesses in rural areas. And because Georgian financial institutions and investors need more training in understanding the basic risks of energy investments, Winrock will continue to
offer guidance and support.
Wallace Center: Call for Submissions
As part of a new project jointly funded by the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the
W.K. Kellogg
Foundation, the Wallace Center at Winrock International is seeking innovative examples of locally-owned food enterprises, and needs your help.
The new initiative, Community Food Enterprise: Local Success in a Global Marketplace, will analyze and present 24 cutting-edge models of local food enterprises from around the world. If you know of
non-U.S. examples of community-based or local food enterprises, please contact
Matt Kurlanski
or visit the project site for additional information and case study criteria.
You may also sign up to receive email updates as the project progresses.
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