This article is a contribution to a week-long blog carnival on USAID’s John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program. From July 14-18, F2F program partners and American volunteers are sharing their knowledge and experience of providing technical assistance to farmers, farm groups, agribusinesses, service providers, and other agriculture sector institutions in developing and transitional countries. This blog carnival aims to capture and share this program experience. You can find all contributions on Agrilinks.
In September 2012, Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, waste management and compost expert, worked with a Bangladeshi organization, Rural Unfortunates Safety Talisman Illumination Cottage (RUSTIC), to improve and expand its compost production.
RUSTIC has supported solid waste management since 1997. The organization employs women –most of whom did not have any previous job prospects– to work at compost plants in two of the fastest growing cities in Bangladesh, with 1.5 million people and 450 tons of new municipal solid waste per day. RUSTIC’s work achieves multiple benefits: improved environmental protection plus the use of waste for compost. The women collect, sort, and prepare waste as compost, to be sold to local farmers as organic fertilizer. The compost is more affordable and better for the soil than synthetic chemical fertilizers, and enables farmers to increase productivity and yields.
After receiving training from Dr. Rahman, RUSTIC was able to make great strides in improving its production, quality, and overall efficiency, and within a year, it achieved a 60% increase in sales per month. Executive Director Mr. Moral Noor Mohammad states, “Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s technical knowledge and inspiration made us confident!”
RUSTIC’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Recently the organization received a prestigious HSBC-The Daily Star Climate Award honoring its role in community engagement in environmental protection. Check out the article from The Daily Star here: http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/laurels-for-climate-heroes-13500
We’re proud to work with such a committed organization!
As aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, F2F works to support inclusive agriculture sector growth, facilitate private sector engagement in the agriculture sector, enhance development of local capacity and promote climate-smart development. Volunteer assignments address host-led priorities to expand economic growth that increases incomes and improves access to nutritious food. Read more articles on this topic on Agrilinks. Also, make sure to subscribe (http://bit.ly/AgrilinksF2F) to receive a daily digest in your inbox, for one week only!