To expand production and reduce poverty without impacting the environment, however, requires coherent strategies, action plans and cooperation amongst multiple parties. This is necessary to ensure smallholders build capacity to expand production, gain access to markets that reward them fairly and align with sustainability requirements of an evolving marketplace.

Demeter is uniquely positioned to assist smallholders to become active partners in their own journey towards sustainable production and improved local livelihoods. We have an in-depth understanding of the field realities and draw upon this to design strategies that support smallholder commodity production and empower farmers. We also implement programs on the ground – from farmer field schools and community forestry projects, to strengthened farmer cooperatives and large scale efforts to map and support land titling in smallholder dominated landscapes. We also conduct training workshops to raise capacity and understanding for both community members and external stakeholders, building mutual understanding as a basis for lasting, partnership-based solutions over the long term.