Greetings from the International Division! Thanks to social media, we can

get a glimpse into horticulture activities around the world. Hopefully,

learning about these activities inspires you to apply for one of the many

volunteer activities highlighted at the end of this article (thanks to John

Griffis for pulling these together). Lots of possibilities for horticulturists who

would like to see the world.

I would like to highlight a couple recent blog posts from the Horticulture

Innovation Lab (http://blog.horticulture.ucdavis.edu) that you may find

interesting. A new project in Guinea is to establish a farmer services and

training center at the Centre de Recherche Agricole de Foulayah in the

Kindia district. The center is working with AVENIR agents (agents of

extension, entrepreneurship and rural innovation) to introduce farmers to

horticultural production tools and postharvest technologies. The AVENIRS

are mentored by another USAID-funded program managed by Winrock

International and CNFA in Guinea. Graduate students might be interested to

read about the experience University of California Davis graduate student,

Nick Reitz, had while working in Ghana on a Trellis Project to improve mango

handling after harvest.

John Griffis and the International Twitter Feed

Twitter is one of the more interesting, widely-available social media

platforms that provides both snippets of information and links to a large

number of items that are related to international horticulture. There are

many Twitter feeds available on a daily basis that can bring us up-to-date on

the latest horticulture developments worldwide. Let’s see what we can spot

this month.

The World Bank invites us to check out one of their blogs that discusses

“Bringing technology to the doorsteps of India’s smallholder farmers for

climate resilience.” Author Priti Kumar tells us how she uses digital

applications to advise mostly women farmers in her village. Many of the

farmers had previously relied on traditional farmer information, but now they

have begun to trust this much newer technology. This and other

technological advances are being developed and utilized as part of the

Sustainable Livelihoods and Adaption to Climate Change (SLACC) Project

associated with Indian government’s National Rural Livelihoods Project

(NRLP). Both projects are funded by the World Bank. The SLACC project

aims to empower at least 10,000 farmers to adopt climate resilient

practices. For more information about these programs, just click on the

Twitter link wrld.bg/YlbV30g1ub6 within Twitter, or visit blogs.worldbank.org

and click on the “choose Blog” drop down menu and then select “People,

Spaces, Deliberation.” The World Bank Twitter feed is a very busy one with

10-20 tweets on a daily basis.

Also from Twitter this month, a RootsTubersBananas post lists “Five ways

that food biodiversity contributes to healthier diets” bit.ly/2yxKDFP via the

Bioversity International Website. The information here is taken from chapter

2 of the ebook “Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food

Systems” that was released on 11 October in Rome (and it can be

downloaded from the website). One of the really interesting underutilized

horticulture commodities mentioned is the nutritious Gac fruit from

Southeast Asia. Vietnam is a major producer.

(Momordica cochinchinensis)

Another Twitter feed for this month comes from the USAID Feed the Future

Initiative. This tweet asks for help for farmers in Africa to protect their crops

and livelihoods. Following the link feedthefuture.gov/faw will bring you to an

article that calls for action to combat the Fall Armyworm invasion that

threatens maize and other crops in parts of Africa. The article is linked to a

new October 2017 factsheet with information and suggestions on combatting

the Fall Armyworm. Limiting the damage this pest can cause is certainly

possible.

Also from Twitter, we have discovered a wonderful podcast series from Dr.

Paul Vincelli of the University of Kentucky and Dr. Kevin Folta, chairman of

the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. These

guys cover a wide of range topics, but of particular interest here is a very

recent discussion about the possible benefits of GMO disease-resistant

bananas developed by scientist-farmers in Uganda. You can learn more

about this amazing topic by going through Twitter to @TalkingBiotech or by

visiting the website https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/10/23/talking-

biotech-uganda-farmer-scientist-benefits-gmo-disease-resistant-

bananas/#.We8lKv1JJFo.twitter.

(photo: @TalkingBiotech)

Funding Opportunity

Partnerships For Enhanced Engagement In Research (PEER) invites

developing country researchers to apply for financial support for research

and capacity-building activities in partnership with U.S. scientists sponsored

by nine federal science agencies. The PEER program is implemented by the

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine.

http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/PEER/PGA_147214

International consulting opportunities

For those of you interested in paid consulting opportunities, CNFA continues

to have several consultant positions available (https://www.cnfa.org/stta/),

although not all of them are horticulturally-oriented. The U.S.-Pakistan

Partnership for Agricultural Market Development (AMD) activity in

Pakistan is a USAID funded activity implemented by CNFA with the goal

of supporting the development of Pakistan’s commercial agriculture,

particularly through improving the ability of Pakistan’s agriculture and

livestock sectors to meet both international and domestic demand and

requirements in targeted horticultural product lines. A paid

Horticulture IPM Specialist is needed for this Pakistan program to

conduct a sectoral analysis of current IPM techniques utilized by AMD

identified stakeholders and conduct capacity building sessions in Punjab and

Sindh, including demonstrations and hands on training and technical

assistance for use of various techniques to identify, control and mitigate the

pest attack on vegetables. The period of performance for this consultancy

begins on or about February 01, 2018 through March 31, 2018. The

estimated level of effort (LOE) for the assignment is 23 days. The application

deadline is November 11, 2017. For more information or to apply for this

paid consulting position, please visit https://www.cnfa.org/job/horticulture-

ipm-specialist/.

TechnoServe, an international non-profit organization that “works with

enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms,

businesses and industries,” is looking for paid consultants globally. They are

looking to expand their pool of short- and long-term technical experts. Some

of the areas where they need consultants include: nutrition and agriculture,

food security, food processing, horticultural production of selected crops,

enterprise development, and market assessment. Please visit

https://technoserve.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=5&id=13

for more information or to “apply now” by filling out a short application form

and supplying a resume.

International Volunteer Opportunities

One of the more unusual volunteer opportunities we would like to

highlight this month can also be found with TechnoServe. TechnoServe

Fellows, formerly known as Volunteer Consultants, are critical members of

the TechnoServe team, working with full-time staff to further the

TechnoServe mission and to increase their impact around the world. Since

1996, TechnoServe has engaged over 1,000 Fellows on three to twelve-

month projects throughout Africa, India, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Technoserve Fellows Program is a highly competitive fellowship where

professionals have the unique opportunity to contribute their skills to help

change the lives of those living in poverty. They experience the field of

international development firsthand while building new skills and challenging

themselves in a cross-cultural and entrepreneurial environment. While salary

is not offered, TechnoServe typically covers Fellows costs to travel to and

live in country for the duration of their projects. No two projects are alike,

but sample project descriptions and more information about this program

are available at http://www.technoserve.org/get-involved/fellows-program.

Winrock International is currently recruiting a Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer

expert in Soil Fertility Management for Integrated Thanakha Trees &

Food Crops Farming for Myanmar (MYA131). The ground bark of the

Thanakha (Limonia acidissima) tree or wood-apple is used to make a

traditional cosmetic paste that has been known and used in Myanmar for

many centuries. The host, Ayadaw Township Thanakha Association, has

requested the support of a volunteer for a two-week assignment to conduct

a training on soil fertility management for members of the association to

help them manage their Thanakha tree plantations that are integrated with

various food crops. Thanakha trees are a long-term perennial crop and take

time to reach the age suitable for harvest, therefore, farmers try to intercrop

with other short-term crops such as corn, sesame, and pulses for better cash

flow. However, soil fertility in the area is a challenging factor to grow those

cash crops due to soil erosion and loss of top soil. The farmers lack

knowledge on soil fertility management, integrated fertilizer management,

and natural resource management.

For more information about this opportunity or to apply, please visit

https://www.winrock.org/join-us/volunteer/volunteer-

opportunities/?oid=7194 or contact Abby Phillips at

abby.phillips@winrock.org or at +1-501-280-3012.

Land O’Lakes International Development is recruiting a volunteer expert in

Management of Farmers’ Markets for a two-week Famer-to-Farmer

project in Lebanon. The host, one of the largest and most successful

farmers’ markets in Lebanon, wants the expert to oversee the farmers’

market management to give them constructive criticism on how and in what

ways they can improve. During his/her assignment, the volunteer expert will

review and edit as needed the current producer’s application form and the

process they currently follow in addition to their internal rules and

regulations. The host is also looking to design a better logo and banner, and

update and organize their product displays to be more appealing to

customers and potential producers.

For more information about this opportunity or to apply, please visit

https://lol.avature.net/Careers/JobDetail/Lebanon-Management-of-Farmer-

s-Market-Short-term-Volunteer-Assignment-in-Lebanon/1153.

ACDI/VOCA has more than a few international volunteer opportunities

available for horticulturists. For Farmer-to-Farmer Guinea, they are

recruiting a volunteer Integrated Pest Management Specialist (GUI-

0741-002). Local farmers’ associations are requesting volunteer assistance

to improve their pest control. The volunteer will provide training on a

number of topics, including organic and chemical pest control and

environmentally sustainable pesticide use, among others. The assignment

will last for approximately two weeks in country. Fluency in French is

required.

For more information about this opportunity, please visit

https://volunteeropportunities-acdivoca.icims.com/jobs/5114/integrated-

pest-management-specialist%2c-guinea/job.

ACDI/VOCA is also requesting a Chili Processing Specialist for an

upcoming Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer assignment in Ghana (GHA-0740-

135). Joekopan Enterprises is requesting assistance to conduct a

feasibility study for the construction of a chili paste processing facility. The

assessment will include the cost of building the facility, factory operations

and management, and equipment requirements. The volunteer will also

provide training on safety standards for food processing. Please visit

https://volunteeropportunities-acdivoca.icims.com/jobs/5048/chili-factory-

assessment%2c-ghana/job for more information about this opportunity.

A volunteer Fruit and Vegetable Drying Specialist is needed for an

upcoming ACDI/VOCA volunteer assignment in Armenia (ARM-0741-034).

The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is requesting assistance to provide

training on drying fruit and vegetables, especially for apricots, peaches,

plums, figs, persimmons, apples, pears and tomatoes. The assignment will

last for approximately two weeks in country. https://volunteeropportunities-

acdivoca.icims.com/jobs/4857/fruit-and-vegetable-drying-specialist%2c-

armenia/job.

A Fruit, Herb and Vegetable Drying Specialist is needed for an

upcoming volunteer assignment in the Republic of Georgia (GEO-0741-032).

The host organizations, Kareli Ltd, Kartuli Chiri, Chibukhi Ltd and Khvamli

2009, are requesting assistance to provide training in modern fruit and

vegetable drying techniques and best practices. The volunteer will provide

recommendations and training on a number of topics, including fruit color

preservation, vitamin loss reduction, moisture content determination,

relative humidity, ventilation and temperature control issues, and hygiene

and sanitation. The assignment will last for approximately two weeks in

country. https://volunteeropportunities-

acdivoca.icims.com/jobs/4721/fruit%2c-herb-and-vegetable-drying-

specialist%2c-georgia/job

Catholic Relief Services is looking for a volunteer Integrated Pest

Management Specialist for a Farmer-to-Farmer project in Tanzania

(TZ128). In Tanzania, horticulture makes a significant contribution to food

security and economic growth. The key challenge experienced by vegetable

farmers, particularly for tomato, is pests and diseases. Among the diseases

presenting challenges are Tuta absoluta and bacterial/viral wilts, especially

Fusarium wilt. Farmers have also identified a new disease that begins by

wilting the plant root, eventually drying the entire plant. Therefore, the

volunteer should have experience identifying and managing tropical crop

diseases. They have expressed interest in alternative and more holistic

solutions—such as integrated pest management (IPM), which can prove

more effective than relying on chemicals alone, and can save on input costs.

They also expressed interest in proper and safe application of pesticides. The

project is expected to last about 15 days in country. To see the entire Scope

of Work (SOW), please visit http://farmertofarmer.crs.org/assignment/ and

select this project from the list provided or contact Maria Figueroa, the CRS

farmer-to-farmer recruitment manager directly at maria.figueroa@crs.org or

call 410-951-7366.