The overall objective will be pursued through the following outputs: (i) Number of RAS providers applying mechanisms of continuous learning among themselves and farmers; (ii) Number of small-scale producers reached by RAS, farmer-to-farmer and/or FFS co-learning; (iii) Report on number of improved agroecology practices farmers has adopted, (iv) number of RAS providers’ that has increased competences in delivering Agroecology centered extension services, (v) number of RAS providers that have increased capacity to integrate digital tools in their work, (vi) number of RAS provider organisations actively promote agroecology; and (vii) Number of Youth influencers with improved capacity to promote Agroecology within their country.

Goal & Objectives. The Project is aimed at empowering small-scale farmers in the agroecology transition through participatory Rural Advisory Services (RAS). This overall objective will contribute towards achieving the development objective of the comprehensive GP-SAEP, of which this Project is part “Enable rural small-scale producers to strengthen their practice of agroecology through better access to knowledge, support services, improved technologies and market outlets thereby improving their resilience to climatic, environmental and socio-economic shocks and stressors as well as food and nutrition security and incomes”.

Direct and Indirect Target Group. The aim is to reach approximately 10,000 farming families (an estimated 2,500 per country) and support transforming their production towards agroecology methods and technologies. These beneficiaries will be reached via a total of 20 Master Trainers, 240 RAS (Rural Advisory Services) facilitators (60 per country), 20 Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) agroecology extension fellows (5 per country), and 12 teams of 2-3 Entrepreneurs for Rural Access (ERAs) who will be promoting agroecology through farmer-to-farmer videos in local languages in Africa.

Target Countries. The project is implemented in four countries: two in Africa (Uganda and Madagascar) and two in Latin America (Costa Rica and Ecuador) with funding from IFAD through GFRAS