Started in 2001, the Presbyterian Coffee Project is a collaboration between Equal Exchange and the Presbyterian Church USA's Enough for Everyone Program to involve more Presbyterian communities and individuals in supporting small farmers around the world.
Recent Small Farmer Funds were applied to these projects:
Mouvement Paysan de Papaye — Haiti
Capacity building of peasant families in agricultural production in the municipality of Hinche, Centre Department
This project addresses the problem of declines in agricultural production and a lack of information and adaptation of practices to the consequences of climate change. It proposes to support and accompany 200 peasant farming families in gardening for market sale and food in Montegrande, Lacabouille, and CarréSavane via the distribution of seeds: spinach, okra, eggplant and Moringa.
It includes acquisition and distribution of farming tools (hoes, machetes, watering cans, pickaxes, & shovels) for 50 peasant farming families and training 100 people from peasant farmer families on adapting to the consequences of climate change.
It also includes carrying out awareness campaigns through lectures, debates, radio broadcasts and commercials on the consequences of climate change on agricultural production and the precautions to be taken in order to reduce losses.
ECHO Asia Impact Center — Myanmar
Seeds of Hope II: Creating a Local Seed Banking Network in the Delta of Myanmar
This project will build upon the knowledge and training capacity of ECHO Asia and partner with Pathein Myaugmya Association (PMA) to increase the capacity, technical resources, knowledge base, and abilities of the PMA to implement and train local leaders and farmers in appropriate seed banking in the Arrawaddy Delta of Myanmar. Low-input, low-cost, and high-impact relevant seed saving technologies and seed banks will be disseminated and result in the creation of 2 appropriate operational seed banks. Utilizing a farmer-to-farmer training approach, PMA staff will be trained at the ECHO Asia Seed Bank before the construction of appropriate seed banks at both the Kahelu Small Farm Resource Center and the PMA center in Pathein. These seed banks will function to store diverse crop germplasm from communities in the delta, research ECHO Asia’s appropriate seed banking technologies, and train local leaders, community workers, and smallholder farmers in seed banking best practices.