Established in 1985, Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is an international development organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth and improving livelihoods by cultivating entrepreneurship. CNFA is located in Washington, DC, United States with global offices across Africa, Central and South Asia, and Eastern Europe.CNFA Europe, CNFA’s European affiliate, is based in Brussels, Belgium. CNFA creates positive changes in the lives of smallholder farmers and rural entrepreneurs through initiatives that enhance:
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Over the past 31 years, CNFA has managed over $600 million in donor-funded agricultural development programs in 44 countries.
History
Since its inception, CNFA has actively promoted public-private sector partnerships as a way to jump start economic growth. It specializes in engaging private sector investment in training, new technology and marketing as a means to increase overall competitiveness, expand exports and generate higher incomes all along the value chain for farmers, processors, and distributors.
CNFA was at the forefront of international development in the early 1990s building free market systems in the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union under the Food Systems Restructuring Program. Part of its unique strategy for fostering global growth is built upon partnerships with U.S. and international businesses, thereby catalyzing entrepreneurship.
In the past three decades, CNFA has grown in both scope and impact. It has implemented programs in a total of 44 countries and impacted over 70 million people. It continues to deliver sustainable solutions that empower the private sector to drive economic development and improve rural standards of living. CNFA has grown from an niche agribusiness development enterprise to addressing the developing world’s needs through a broad-based approach that focuses on:
In doing so, CNFA has extended their geographic coverage from Eastern Europe into Africa, Central and South Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean while adapting to changing political and economic trends on both domestic and international fronts. CNFA continues to pioneer techniques for partnering with the private sector to engage the world’s disadvantaged in new income generating activities.
Funding
CNFA receives funding from a variety of donors, including USAID, USDA, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.[4]
Leadership
President & CEO: Since 2014, Sylvain Roy has served as the President and CEO of CNFA. Born on June 11, 1962, in Amqui, Quebec, Canada, Roy is an international development expert specializing in agriculture and agribusiness. Prior to leading CNFA, Roy served as Vice President Programs with CNFA, mostly in Africa, where he managed international development projects and programs. In Kosovo (2008-2009) Roy served as an International Agribusiness Advisor for the Swiss Foundation for International Development and Cooperation.
In Burkina Faso (2003-2006) he served as Project Director of the West African Agricultural Input Project. In Togo (2002-2003) he managed the Coffee and Cocoa Micro Finance Institution Project. In Mali (1998-2000) he served as Project Director of the Grain Marketing Project and the Wheat Production and Market Project near Timbuktu. In Cameroon (1992-1996) he served as Project Director of the Ngaoundere Dairy Project.
Roy is a strong proponent of the commercially-oriented family farming system. Leveraging this approach, he has had the opportunity to improve access to agricultural inputs and markets for thousands of farmers. His work has supported the creation of farmers’ associations and cooperatives to collectively reduce cost of transaction while reaching economy of scale. See also- Global Development Initiatives: Why it matters.
He currently lives on a small-scale farm in Maryland. Roy holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Agribusiness from Laval University in Quebec, Canada. He also holds a diploma in Agricultural Technologies from the Agricultural Technology Institute of La Pocatière, Canada.
Board of Directors
Areas of Expertise
Sustainable Agricultural Production
CNFA harnesses a private sector driven and value chain approach to promote sustainable agricultural practices. We provide the assistance producers need to make their agricultural operations more economically viable so they can reach a sustainable level of production to satisfy their family and community food and fiber needs. Our extensive experience in supplying high-level expertise in the production of staple crops, high-value horticultural and other cash crops in a range of tropical and temperate environments enables and motivates large numbers of small-scale producers to reach higher yields and better quality of marketed products —while creating new jobs and employment opportunities. By lending our expertise to their operations, we also help producers cultivate crops that are more nutritious, resulting in a higher quality diet and life for farm families and surrounding populations.
Input Supply and Farm Services
CNFA believes that improved access to agricultural inputs and services is one of the most important ways to boost yields and help smallholders move from subsistence to more market-oriented farming. These improvements in turn yield higher profits and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers and their families. While the input and farm service sectors are unique from country to country, what holds true in all countries is that improving local retail access to inputs and services has the potential to empower rural entrepreneurs to reach thousands of farmers.
Enterprise Development
CNFA promotes sustainable, rural-based enterprise development by targeting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to drive growth and income-generating opportunities in the agricultural sector. We identify and target MSMEs for whom investment will have the most lasting impact. By increasing private investment and commercial finance opportunities, we mitigate risk for rural enterprises and entrepreneurs, while expanding commercially sustainable links between producers, post-harvest enterprises, service providers, local consulting firms, and end-markets. Development of rural community-based micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) plays an important role in economic animation by offering opportunities for entrepreneurs in farming to stay in their communities and envision a prosperous future.
Access to Finance
One of the most difficult challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and smallholder farmers is accessing appropriate and affordable financing. CNFA improves financial access for these groups by engaging both supply- and demand-side stakeholders to help in clearing away obstacles to obtaining agricultural financing. We work with commercial banks, micro-finance institutions, village saving and credit groups, non-bank lending institutions and policy-makers to improve their ability to design and market agricultural lending products. We also provide training in business planning and loan application development to help generate commercial opportunities for banks and other lenders.
Strengthening Livelihoods
Through a holistic and localized approach, CNFA strengthens livelihoods by improving agricultural production, helping smallholder farmers engage in new and existing markets, developing household assets, and increasing the resiliency of vulnerable households. We employ a unique “push-pull” strategy that moves vulnerable, subsistence farming households into commercially oriented, market-led agriculture.
Processing and Post-Harvest Management
Reducing post-harvest loss and engaging in value-added activities are critical elements for both improving smallholders’ food security and helping processors expand to new markets. CNFA integrates processing and modern post-harvest handling practices in its programs to expand profitability, competitiveness and export capacities of food processing enterprises. One way we accomplish this is by providing technical assistance in a variety of areas including but not limited to: distribution, cleaning, packing, sorting, storage, transportation, worker hygiene, cold storage, and processing (drying, canning, freezing, preserving fermenting, juicing). To complement our technical assistance, we also assist companies in obtaining international certifications such as HACCP, GlobalGap and ISO, which can help increase demand in both existing and new markets.
Market Access
CNFA focuses on the demands of processors, traders and consumers to guide improvements all along the value chain. We believe that post-harvest handling practices, traceability, and quality standards are essential to ensuring market access at the local, national, and international levels. Our approach always emphasizes buyer demands and assists enterprises to implement business practices and technologies to meet those demands.