Agricultural productivity is the cornerstone to poverty reduction and economic stability for many countries. International Resources Group has worked extensively to promote sustainable agricultural practices, ensure sound environmental management, develop viable global trade opportunities, and institute efficient processes to encourage agribusiness opportunities around the world. Working with host country governments to shape agricultural policy – from inputs on property rights, land use planning, and use of natural products to decentralized resource management, increased competitiveness, and economic development – IRG’s expertise helps increase the chances for more equitable distribution of benefits and ensure their sustainability.

Capabilities:

• Field-based Capacity Building to Foster Sustainable Production and Enterprise
• Strategic Planning
• Policy Analysis
• Training and Knowledge Management in Agricultural Value Chains
• Agricultural Sustainability through Sound Resource and Environmental Management

Select projects include:

Enhancing Livelihoods through Strengthening Value Chains
IRG is enhancing livelihoods through a value chain approach to deliver business tools and techniques to rural Senegalese enterprises. We provide technical support for improving business services by increasing investments in agricultural exports, implementing public-private partnerships (PPPs) with stakeholders in the agriculture sector, and helping enact policies that enhance business opportunities and export competitiveness. Investment: IRG will invest in some of Senegal’s strongest sectors, especially agriculture and food products like cashews, dairy, seafood, and horticultural products to help local firms to take full advantage of the benefits to the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): In order to leverage private capital effectively to improve the provision of public services, IRG is improving the development capacity of PPPs in Senegal by developing their regulatory framework, providing guidance on the management of PPPs, securing finance and developing cost estimates, and ensuring PPPs in Senegal are transparent and accountable with efforts to reinforce positive public perception. Policy Reforms: IRG is supporting the development of democratic and economic reforms that will improve the business environment of the agriculture sector and other industries, enhance export competitiveness, and steadily increase investments and export revenue IRG helps USAID/Senegal identify outside funding for economic growth and partnership initiatives. Senegal: Support for Accelerated Growth and Increased Competitiveness for Trade (SAGIC)

Developing Value Chains Rural Production Systems and Increasing Competitive Enterprise
IRG is working in Senegal to increase the productivity of rural production systems by strengthening community-based organizations, supporting policies that clarify local rights and responsibilities in natural resource management, training communities in sustainable land use, and developing non-traditional agricultural and non-timber forest products. IRG also manages a small-grants fund to support pilot activities, cover start-up costs of small enterprises, and to enable the participation and collaboration of local entities in rural production and natural resource management.
Over five years, IRG’s guidance has helped increase revenues from natural resources and non-traditional agriculture by $2.5 million and an additional $2.6 million in exports from over 8,712 persons and enterprises in a range of value chains. Besides raising productivity of resources, local communities have engaged in formal co-management relationships (joint ventures, concession agreements, local conventions) to increase investment in and local benefits from agriculture and natural resource activities. IRG’s efforts are helping to reduce conflicts over resource competition and promoting the cooperative management of natural resources.Senegal: USAID/Wula Nafaa Project

Extending Participation in and Improving Agriculture Inputs
IRG is working to improve crop production inputs in the Litani River Basin in Lebanon. IRG has performed a needs assessment of existing agriculture production practices to identify improvements. Meetings with farmers groups of current and potential water users associations, along with the production assessments will be used to select pilot demonstration areas that reflect best local agronomic conditions, irrigation command areas, and grower needs. Based on these findings, IRG will help users in the pilot area develop an equitable and enforceable irrigation water distribution program, which also offer new irrigation technology designed to meet the area’s irrigation needs. Besides improving irrigation equity, IRG is also working to guide the efficient use of chemical and irrigation practices. To support these agriculture improvements, the IRG project is increasing credit availability; identifying possible actions of the Litani River Authority that could reduce or eliminate supply chain impediments; and examine regional, national, and local market of local agricultural products for export. Lebanon: Litani River Basin Management Support Project

Improving Agricultural Practices to Ensure a Cleaner Environment
IRG provided assistance to the Romanian Ministry of Water and Environmental Protection in preparing for the implementation of the European Union Nitrates Directive. IRG designed the protocol for monitoring nitrates and phosphates in surface and ground water and developed the process for elaborating local action programs in Nitrate Vulnerable Areas. This process was tested in cooperation with Calarasi Judet environmental and agricultural units and involved the simulation of nutrient best practices in managing livestock wastes and fertilizer applications. Romania: Agricultural Pollution Reduction Activity

Stimulating Economic Growth and Agricultural Productivity
Erosion limiting Haiti's agricultural production and economic possibilities required technical assistance from IRG to mitigate the factors causing degradation. Activities included community-based tree planting, productive infrastructure protection, a natural resource management fund and an environmental and conservation awareness campaign. Haiti: Agriculturally Sustainable Systems and Environmental Transformation