Features

While food security was the impetus for ACDI/VOCA’s creation in 1963, not until recently was it declared one of the company’s official practice areas. Here's the story of how that happened and why it matters.

Our 2009 success story contest winner was David Lukungu of our Title II PL 480 program, for his story, which describes a farmers’ group that, despite terrible odds, is now thriving in northern Uganda.

ACDI/VOCA Chief of Party Nadia Namken received a certificate of recognition from Tijara for helping to develop microfinance in Iraq. Tijara, which means “trade” in Arabic, is a large USAID project that gives out this top honor to only one person each year.

Created under ACDI/VOCA's USAID-funded Knowledge and Practice II AMAP BDS Task Order, the wiki codifies value chain resources and enables users to learn about emerging best practices.

In Tanzania, ACDI/VOCA has helped mariculturalists like Salim Hatibu, who through his seaweed sales was able to rebuild his home and send his children to school.

Through the Farmer-to-Farmer program, Dr. Rick Bates, a Penn State University horticulturist, helped the future of Georgia's Nordmann fir industry to become bright once more.

What started out as a three-week Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment in July 2002 has led to a robust Little League program where the crack of the bat was seldom before heard—in Uganda.

With the help of Board Chair Mort Neufville, ACDI/VOCA recently tapped the eminent Dr. Eugene Terry as a volunteer for its Promoting Agriculture, Governance and Environment project in Sierra Leone.

Volunteer service is a powerful component of our approach to development. For over 45 years, our expert volunteers have increased capacity and improved living standards in over 130 countries.

East Timor – CoBank Helps Volunteer Provide Further Guidance on Property Rights

As an international development organization, we are driven by our mission to empower people to live better lives. And in that work there’s no denying there’s power in numbers. Connect to us to share in our work.

Bipartisan legislation supports roadmap calling for comprehensive strategy.

World Cocoa Foundation and leading chocolate companies partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve cocoa farmer livelihoods in West Africa. ACDI/VOCA to help implement.

Coconut expert Randal Moore had just returned from a trip to Venezuela when ACDI/VOCA contacted him for an activity in Panama. A self-taught expert in palm trees, this expertise led to a life-changing volunteer experience.

ACDI/VOCA has launched a blog called “A Day in the Life of USAID Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteers,” where Farmer-to-Farmer volunteers can share their impressions and photos from overseas trips.

We've just released a new general video: Empowering People. Watch the three-minute condensed version of it now.

After much international discussion and collaboration, ACDI/VOCA's Global Food Crisis Team has issued a food crisis position paper that presents our thinking on how we can be most effective.

The reformatted Fall 2008 issue of the World Report is now available.

As we mark our 45th anniversary, we're reflecting on programs of particular impact and importance. In this third installment we'll look at how ACDI/VOCA increased productivity, reduced food insecurity and enhanced rural incomes through the establishment of competitive, profit-oriented and professionally managed cooperatives in Ethiopia.

New features emphasize greater user participation and interactivity.

As we mark our 45th anniversary, we're reflecting on programs of particular impact and importance. In this second installment we'll look at ACDI/VOCA's role in restoring cooperative banking in Poland.

The USAID Marla Ruzicka War Victims Fund is helping one family rebuild their lives in Iraq.

The stories of three ACDI/VOCA volunteers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

As we mark our 45th anniversary, we're reflecting on programs of particular impact and importance. In this installment we'll look at ACDI/VOCA's role in founding the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative, one of the largest fertilizer producers in the world and the largest in Asia.

Annatto producers access the international market for a traditional crop with the support of ACDI/VOCA and USAID.

Cocoa production improves livelihoods of vulnerable populations.

On July 12th, we marked 45 years of empowering people in 145 countries around the world.

HIV/AIDS nearly destroyed an entire family in Uganda until ACDI/VOCA’s food distribution program brought them back from the brink.

ACDI/VOCA musters response to world food crisis. President Leonard says our proficiency in agricultural development and food aid gives us insight into the crisis and also opportunities to alleviate it. Ongoing projects report on the local effects of the food crisis

This video showcases ACDI/VOCA’s 16 years of food security work in Cape Verde.

After a lifetime of hardship, a Vietnamese woman has found hope and financial security in a cocoa bean fermenting business.

ACDI/VOCA and Infosys have partnered to develop an information and communication technology-enabled application that will improve efficiencies in the agricultural supply chain and maximize profits for smallholders.

In 2007 ACDI/VOCA-assisted microfinance institutions (MFIs) were featured prominently on the Mix Market and Forbes lists.

Support from ACDI/VOCA has led to new products, packaging, certifications, and ultimately higher sales, for one women’s specialty food co-op in Lebanon.

ACDI/VOCA is linking vegetable farmers in the West Bank with marketing companies.

In 2007 ACDI/VOCA celebrated 35 years of Friendship and Cooperation with Bolivia

New application process, tools take effect.

ACDI/VOCA renovates and equips dilapidated kindergarten in Bolivia.

ACDI/VOCA has compiled a list of items produced by our beneficiaries to help you complete your holiday shopping this year.

An independent Iraqi radio station ACDI/VOCA helped launch encourages public discourse.

ACDI/VOCA is working to increase the use of movable property in Azerbaijan as an efficient form of collateral for small business loans.

Coffee from ACDI/VOCA client awarded a score of 96 by Coffee Review.

ACDI/VOCA is teaching smallholder cocoa farmers in Ecuador how to make sound business decisions, how to organize with one another in order to increase their market options and negotiating power, and how to receive higher prices by selling directly to cocoa exporters.

MicroInvest, a microfinance institution established by ACDI/VOCA in Tajikistan, has teamed up with Kiva to provide its clients with the opportunity to receive person-to-person loans.

ACDI/VOCA and its Indian corporate and NGO partners are successfully integrating Indian smallholder farmers into fresh produce supply chains serving India’s rapidly growing organized retail sector.

During a debate in the House of Representatives on June 21st Congressman Christopher Shays said the following of the reconstruction program ACDI/VOCA is helping to implement: “This is the one program that is in fact working in Iraq. No one disputes it. We can dispute everything else, but not this.”

For a USAID study, ACDI/VOCA interviewed over 50 market actors in metal and papier-mâché crafts as well as global handicraft experts to better understand how to enable Haitian handicraft stakeholders.

A recent survey examining ACDI/VOCA's Community Revitalization through Democratic Action project found significant impact on small enterprise development in Serbia.

International Finance Corporation will provide advisory services to Bai Tushum, which was founded by ACDI/VOCA and is now a leading Kyrgyz microlending institution.