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International Institute of Rural Reconstruction
Harvest Celebration
Gardens can be a good source of income and nutrition for people living in poverty. But in Vietnam in the mid-1990s, farmers were losing half or more of their flowers, vegetables, and fruits after the harvest. The McKnight Foundation supported a project to identify and teach sound post-harvest practices. The results exceeded all expectations. More than 73,000 farmers from 58 of Vietnam's 61 provinces are adopting the technologies. Income generated by their crops has increased as much as 50 percent in some cases, significantly improving their quality of life.
The Institute for Rural Reconstruction, whose mission is to "release the powers of the rural poor to transform their lives," is now expanding the project to Cambodia. It is hoped that ultimately these post-harvest technologies—such as how to pack and store crops—will be spread throughout Asia. Following the successful model used in Vietnam, the technology improvements will be built upon the more traditional practices of local farmers. Then farmers will spread the techniques to their peers, ensuring that these techniques are passed on as part of the local wisdom.
RELATED LINKSVillage Focus International
Oxfam America
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A successful effort to improve local farming practices and protect fruits, vegetables, and flowers from damage after harvest is spreading from Vietnam to other parts of southeast Asia.
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| International Institute of Rural Reconstruction |
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| Location: New York, New York |
| Funding: $315,000 since 1996 |
| www.iirr.org |
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