Roots, The Podcast of Rural Communities

20 Episodes

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Roots in Surkhet, Nepal - Increasing agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers

2020-09-2404:56

Turmeric and ginger have many health benefits and have been consumed for thousands of years. Both spices are high-value crops, and come from the part of the plant called the rhizome, a stem that grows underground. In this episode, Roots visited the Agriculture Sector Development Programme in Surkhet, Nepal. Over the past decades, IFAD operations have helped increase the productivity of small farms here by focusing on improved production of high-value crops, including ginger and turmeric. Roots spoke to Khadga Kumar Bhattarai and Sulochana Shrestha, two entrepreneurs who own a turmeric processing factory and a ginger processing company, respectively. The project has helped both their businesses grow by providing necessary training for farmers from whom they source their products.

Roots in Kordofan and Sinnar, Sudan – Improving women’s access to financial services and markets

2020-03-1603:48

Sudan has faced substantial changes in recent years. With important human, oil and land resources lost, growth has faltered, and poverty and undernourishment have worsened. The main challenges for rural livelihoods are low agricultural and livestock productivity, erratic climate conditions, inadequate water availability, and limited access to markets and financial services. In this episode, Roots spoke with Um Durein and Thaya Al Gasim, two women from the rural communities supported by the Western Sudan Resource Management Programme. The project helped smallholder farmers to improve their management of natural resources and provided rural communities, particularly women, with access to economic opportunities, productive services and markets.

Roots In Palapye, Botswana - Building a Sustainable Agriculture Sector

2020-02-1805:00

Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with one of the world’s fastest growing economies; however, following the global economic downturn in 2008, there is concern over the long-term sustainability of resources. In this episode, Roots visited the Agriculture Services Support Project in Palapye, which aimed to contribute to economic diversification by achieving a sustainable agriculture sector based on farming as a business. Through the provision of training and new irrigation systems, the project helped farmers like Oarabile Nkoloi George, Malebega Poroga and Baboloki Ernest Ramadi, to improve their livelihoods and reduce reliance on subsidies and welfare measures. Following the successful example of what has worked so far; IFAD operations should continue the efforts to improve the agriculture sector as well as the livelihoods of rural people in Botswana.

Roots in Tungurahua and Bolivar, Ecuador – Production and sale of cereal, fruits and vegetables

2019-12-0904:15

In rural Ecuador, agricultural communities work collectively to produce food for their families and to increase household income. Good food production requires infrastructure and knowledge that families not always have. In this episode, Roots spoke with Gladis Fabiola Alcedo, a woman farmer who started an organization for egg production in Tungurahua, and with Angelita Morejón Chaves, a housewife who received training and now runs a company in Bolivar.

Roots in Sierra Leone - Rehabilitation and Community-Based Poverty Reduction Project

2019-11-0604:59

Sierra Leone is one of the most vulnerable countries hit by the adverse effects of climate change. The change in weather patterns, reflected by fluctuating levels of rainfall, has a hugely negative impact on agriculture, which is the only source of income for thousands of farmers in Sierra Leone. In this episode, Roots visited the Rehabilitation and Community-Based Poverty Reduction Project in Koinadugu District, which helped to rehabilitate the agriculture sector taking into account climate change. Thanks to the provision of training and greenhouses, the project helped farmers like Mohamed Sheku Marah, a young farmer, and Haja Sundun Marah, a 61-year-old woman farmer and mother of eight, to increase their incomes and move from subsistence to commercial farming.

Roots expert series - Inclusive financial services

2019-09-2507:23

Access to financial services is an important component of the inclusive rural transformation agenda for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Since 1981, IFAD has financed over 1000 investment projects, worth US$ 3.4 billion. Roots spoke with Johanna Pennarz, Lead Evaluator of the Independent Office of Evaluation and Michael Hamp, Lead Regional Technical Specialist Rural Finance, Markets and Enterprises, Asia and the Pacific Region, IFAD. They discussed the findings drawn from the synthesis on IFAD's performance in supporting Inclusive Financial Services. They highlighted the possible next steps, concluding that IFAD, in order to remain at the centre of inclusive financial services, should step up its efforts in building capacities and continue to work closely with its partners at global and local levels.

Roots expert series - Evaluating support to pro-poor value chain development

2019-09-1604:29

Roots expert series - Evaluating support to pro-poor value chain development by IFAD Independent Office of Evaluation

Roots in Maradi, Niger – Impact evaluation of the Food Security and Development Support Project

2019-08-2907:29

Roots in Maradi, Niger – Impact evaluation of the Food Security and Development Support Project by IFAD Independent Office of Evaluation

Roots in Cayo, Belize – Supporting rural people through financial services

2019-07-1602:52

Roots in Cayo, Belize – Supporting rural people through financial services by IFAD Independent Office of Evaluation

Roots in Kalawana and Ratanpura, Sri Lanka – Supporting business opportunities in agriculture

2019-05-3004:34

Roots in Kalawana and Ratanpura, Sri Lanka – Supporting business opportunities in agriculture by IFAD Independent Office of Evaluation

Roots in Zacatecas, Mexico – Medicinal plants

2019-04-1703:16

Medicinal plants have been used for millennia across the world to heal all kinds of diseases. Today medical sciences have made great progress due to these plants. Fortunately, they have not replaced traditional medicine, which is still being practiced for the benefit of a great number of people. In the state of Zacatecas, in Mexico, Sanjuana López and other women from the community of San Jerónimo expand their knowledge on herbal medicine thanks to a project financed by IFAD. The project keeps these traditions alive and provides scientific information. Roots travelled with the Independent Office of Evaluation to Zacatecas to speak with Sanjuana and other participants of the "Living Pharmacy" workshop.

Roots' interview on country strategy and programme evaluation in Tunisia

2019-03-1104:12

Over the last 15 years, Tunisia has made great progress in reducing rural poverty. IFAD has been working in partnership with the Government since 1980 to improve the living conditions of rural populations. This month, Roots spoke with Philippe Remy, Country Programme Manager of IFAD in Tunisia, and with Ali Abaab and Diane Abi Khalil, two evaluators who worked on the second country strategy and programme evaluation in Tunisia, carried out by the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD. The evaluation covers six projects financed by IFAD between 2003 and 2018, which contributed to an increase in agricultural and livestock productivity and diversification.

Roots in Kalikot and Rukum, Nepal – Credit-based cooperatives' support to rural populations

2019-02-1304:34

Roots in Kalikot and Rukum, Nepal – Credit-based cooperatives' support to rural populations Nepal is a landlocked country with a rich diversity of ethnicities and cultures and home to Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world. In this episode Roots visited the Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project in the Mid-Western Region of Nepal and spoke with beneficiaries about the changes the project has brought in their lives. Pankha Bahadur Hamal and Prem Kala Sahah live in Kalikot, an area characterized by harsh climatic conditions, geographic isolation and high food insecurity. They tell Roots how the IFAD-supported project helped them improve the irrigation system and obtain some loans to start their own businesses. Not far from them, in Rukum, Sita Pun started to conduct commercial agriculture, generating more income to support her family.

Roots in Ferké and Nahoulakaha, Côte d’Ivoire – Agricultural productivity

2019-02-0103:17

Koné lives in the small village of Ferké in the North-East of Côte d'Ivoire and is Vice-President of an agricultural association. At the time of the creation of the association, he encountered financial difficulties to support his agricultural activities. Now his financial situation is stable and has allowed him to increase his production and obtain better harvests thanks to higher quality rice seeds, cassava and yam roots. The funds have also supported him and the other members of the association with school loans for their children. Not far from Koné, in the remote village of Nahoulakaha, near Korhogo, Sita is one of the many poor small farmers who also received inputs and farming tools to increase agricultural productivity. In this episode, Roots visited with the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD the Agricultural Rehabilitation and Poverty Reduction Project (PRAREP) in Côte d'Ivoire and spoke with beneficiaries about the changes the project has brought in their lives.

Roots in Cohauila, Mexico – The production of Candelilla

2019-01-1003:31

Sandra and Isidra live in the state of Coahuila, in northern Mexico. The economy of this area mainly relies on the production of Candelilla, a plant that lives in the desert and finds its main use in the production of wax and cosmetics. In this episode, Roots visited with the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD the "Sustainable development project for rural communities in semi-arid zones: (Northern and Mixtec Regions) PRODEZSDA" and spoke with beneficiaries about the changes the project has brought in their lives. Since the death of her husband, Sandra has been supporting her family thanks to the production of Candelilla, which guarantees a stable source of income for her children. She tells Roots about how the provision of specific training has improved working conditions as well as health conditions in the area where she lives. For more information about the evaluation objectives, methodology, process, timelines, and key questions, please read the approach paper.

Roots' interview on evaluation synthesis on fisheries

2018-12-1403:32

Fisheries and aquaculture are extremely relevant to IFAD's mandate, as fish and other sea products are essential for a balanced diet. The sector employs 190 million people in the world, of whom 90 per cent are small-scale fishers and producers. This month, Roots spoke with Tullia Aiazzi, IOE senior consultant and author of an evaluation synthesis on IFAD projects' support to fisheries, which draws information from evaluations between 2009 and 2018. The synthesis looks at three countries that benefitted from IFAD's support: Bangladesh, the Maldives and Mozambique. Despite the positive steps undertaken so far, there are still some challenges to face. For example, IFAD will need to ensure that all its projects in this sector integrate social development and rights-based approaches.

Roots in Nakuru, Kenya – Dairy farming

2018-11-2803:30

David Kamgoro, a father of six, is a dairy farmer who lives in Nakuru County in Kenya. He found in dairy farming a stable source of income, which has even allowed him to pay school fees for his children. Over 800,000 small farmers in Kenya depend on dairy farming for their livelihoods. Since 2006, IFAD has been working with small dairy farmers to strengthen their understanding of the production process and improve their organizational and enterprise skills. In this episode, Roots visited with the Independent Office of Evaluation of IFAD the Smallholder Dairy Commercialization Programme in Kenya and spoke with beneficiaries about the changes the programme has brought in their lives.

Roots in Namasigüe, Honduras – Cashew production

2018-10-0303:20

Les noix de cajou sont très populaires dans le monde entier pour leur valeur nutritive et leur goût délicieux. À Namasigüe, au Honduras, María de los Santos Muñoz dirige une coopérative de femmes qui traite la pulpe et les graines de ce fruit tropical pour exporter le produit vers l’Europe et l’Amérique centrale. Ces dernières années, ils ont acheté des machines qui ont amélioré leurs revenus et leurs conditions de vie. Certains d'entre eux sont fiers que leurs enfants étudient à l’université. Racines s’est rendue à l’usine de la noix de cajou avec le Bureau indépendant d’évaluation. C’est à l’occasion de cette visite que Maria de los Santos a raconté l’expérience des femmes de la coopérative.

Roots in Toledo and Stann Creek, Belize - Financial services

2018-08-3103:31

Hilaria Choco est devenue membre d´une caisse d´épargne et crédit afin que sa famille puisse avoir de l'électricité. Hilaria vit à Aguacate, une ville isolée du district de Toledo. Ses enfants profitent de l'électricité pour étudier et faire leurs devoirs. À environ 160 kilomètres, à Dandriga, Jeneve Pratt élève des moutons et bénéficie des services d’une autre caisse. À cette occasion, Racines a visité le Programme financier pour les zones rurales du Belize avec le Bureau d'évaluation indépendant du FIDA et s'est entretenu avec des membres des caisses d´épargne et crédit qui travaillent avec le FIDA.

Roots in Peru's High Rainforest – Rural communities

2018-08-2304:17

Elsa Vargas de Del Castillo produit de la farine de banane plantain dans la haute forêt tropicale du Pérou. Non loin d'elle, dans cette même région de San Martín, Nancy Guerrero éleve des cobayes. Ces activités leur ont permis d’améliorer leur revenu familial et leur vie. Dans son premier épisode, Racines a visité avec le Bureau d'évaluation indépendant certaines initiatives du Projet de renforcement du développement local dans les zones des plateaux et la haute forêt tropicale soutenu par le FIDA. Là, Elsa et Nancy ont parlé des changements générés par les initiatives auxquelles elles participent et de ce qu´il faudrait pour augmenter et maintenir les bénéfices. Écoutons-les!

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Roots, The Podcast of Rural Communities