About Liberia

Sources:Rubber Planters Association of Liberia,2009 & Farm Builders analysis.

What is Farm Builders?

Farm Builder's big idea is very simple: build great farms. That's it -- just three words summarize our approach Agroforestry is widely seen as one of the greatest growth areas for West Africa and developing counties. Yet to increase yields and smallholder incomes we first need to create productive, sustainable, well-managed farms. That is where Farm Builders can help. Our "hands-on" approach, differing from those of NGOs, agricultural banks, producers, and other institutions that support farmers, integrates four key service areas:

Business planning. We first strive to understand the farmer's particular situation and objectives and jointly develop a plan for farm development.

Financial linkages. Farm Builders does not finance farms itself, yet we do link farmers to credit programs offered by lenders and impact investors.

Technical advisory. Farm Builders provides training and capacity development for farmers in the form of workshops, week-long courses, and ongoing skills training.

Management & supervision Farm Builders performs ongoing reporting and diligence for investors and works with farmers to ensure the business plans stay on-track.

Sustainability. is built into every aspect of our business. We judge ourselves successful only when the farmer develops all the skills and knowhow needed to build great farms From an environmental standpoint, we strive to improve biodiversity, soil management, and air quality through strict application of well-thought-out environmental & social practices.

Why Tree Crops?

Tree crops (natural rubber, cocoa, oil palm, coffee, and cashew) are grown throughout the Tropics and especially in West Africa, where they make a sizeable contribution to income, foreign exchange, and employment, while also making positive contributions to biodiversity and natural resource management. Yet there are several challenges developing tree crops successfully in smallholder systems - especially the often high development cost coupled with long waiting period before trees start producing, leading to cycles of underinvestment and low yields. Farm Builders, by targeting management and financial constraints to farm development, creates a virtuous cycle to increase farm investment, productivity, and sustainability. For more information on tree crops in West Africa, refer to Sustainable Tree Crops Program

Why Liberia?

Farm development is of urgent need to Liberia, a country of four million inhabitants on the West Coast of Africa. Liberia is still today, under the leadership of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Africa's first female head of state)is rebuilding its rural economy after fifteen years of civil conflict. Liberia has many advantages with respect to agroforestry its fertile land, heavy rainfall, and great need for employment. However, during the war replanting programs halted and farmers were forced from their land by rebels who destroyed the trees from over-exploitation. In the natural rubber sector, Liberia's top contributor to exports, production is far below potential (see chart at top of the page) and financing and management shortages abound. Farm Builders partners with farmers, rubber exporters, government ministries, and industry groups to support the rebuilding of this critical sector

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Also see Iron Ladies of Liberia

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