With care & resilience, Tanager is responding to COVID 19 in the communities where we work

We are living in unprecedented times, at least in my lifetime, where a global pandemic is evolving so quickly. As a global organization, Tanager is seeing and feeling the impacts of COVID-19 around the world. At the outset, our primary imperative has been the health and safety of our staff, families, and the communities where we work. As flights were being cancelled and boarders closed, Tanager quickly directed its energies to repatriating traveling staff members; closing offices and transitioning to global teleworking; and communicating with partners and people in the communities where we work about social distancing and proper hygiene (hand washing) to ensure everyone’s safety.

Mint farming and women’s empowerment in India: Meet Lajjawati

Lajjawati is a smallholder farmer from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, India who has overcome enormous personal and professional adversity on her journey to prosperity. When Lajjawati’s husband was killed in an accident, she was left caring for her small family farm – and her eight children – alone. Her economic situation was made worse by the pervasive problem of gender inequality in India.

Increasing farming knowledge and profit in Ethiopia: Meet Fikadu

Mr. Fikadu Belachew is a young smallholder dairy farmer in Wakene kebele, Debre Libanos District, Oromia region, in Ethiopia. His farm sits on one hectare of land on the main road from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar. Mr. Belachew has five zero–grazed cross-bred dairy cows, producing an average of about 70 liters of milk a day, along with three heifers and two growing males.

From smallholder farmer to FPO Board Member: Meet Irapa

In India, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and Farmer Producer Groups (FPGs) are important mechanisms for smallholder farmers to organize their efforts, receive valuable training, connect to buyers of their produce, reduce the influence of pernicious middlemen, and increase income. Tanager’s expertise in the support and growth of FPOs has helped tens of thousands of farmers improve their social and economic outcomes. However, as valuable as engagement with FPOs is for smallholder farmers, many of these organizations still face a persistent problem of gender-inequality – especially at the leadership level.

Self improvement and economic growth in Medellin: Meet Malory

Malory Ríos is one of the 750 participants taking part in DIAGEO’s Learning for Life Program Phase 3, implemented by Tanager in Colombia. Tanager works with corporations and foundations around the world to co-create projects to improve social and economic outcomes. In 2015, DIAGEO Colombia and Tanager joined forces to develop job skills training and employment projects for at-risk young people in the cities of Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín.

Nurturing smallholder farmers in India

Today is National Farmers Day in India, an important time to reflect on the plight of the rural farmer and examine how Tanager is working to improve social and economic conditions in rural communities. In the Indian economy agricultural accounts for 18% of the country’s GDP, employing roughly 50% of the country’s workforce. In most of the cases farmers in India work less than an acre of land and rarely own more than 2 acres. These smallholder farmers face a unique set of challenges that Tanager works to address through our co-created projects in India. To understand how Tanager co-creates projects help to improve economic and social outcomes for these farmers, we must first understand the challenges of smallholder farming in India.

2019: A year of achievement and impact for the communities Tanager serves

2019 was a year of incredible achievement and impact for the people, communities, and businesses that Tanager works with across the globe. With activities that positively impact over 105 thousand people worldwide, Tanager’s work won multiple awards, we collaborated on leading industry reports on sustainable agriculture, increased women’s market inclusion across the continent of Africa, improved nutrition outcomes for households, and continued to be an industry leader in the field of sustainable agriculture.

Smallholder women farmers increase their yields and incomes in Telangana

Rathalavath Vijalaxmi is a smallholder farmer from Dachakpally village in Telangana, India. She farms three acres of land along with her husband and three sons. As a young farmer cultivating vegetables like tomatoes, okra, beans, ridge gourds, and chili, Rathalavath often struggles to earn enough from selling her crops to make ends meet for her family. Prior to becoming involved in the Siddipet Horticulture Project, her farm produced an average yield of five to six metric tons.

Overcoming social stigma in Bogotá: Meet Michelle

Originally from Venezuela, Michelle migrated to Colombia in 2018 in search of better opportunities after being unable to continue with her studies in her home country. However, life in Bogotá came with challenges of its own. After more than 70 unsuccessful interviews, the only jobs she could find were of an informal nature.