Ассоциация «ACDI/VOCA» (Ереванский филиал)
Шаблон:Unitedt ACDI/VOCA (Yerevan) ACDI/VOCA (Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance) Address: 39 Tumanian Street, Yerevan, 375002, Republic of Armenia Phone: (374 1) 56 38 35 Fax: (374 1) 56 38 36 E-mail: voca@arminco.com URL: http://www.acdivoca.org
Mr. Artak Harutyunyan Country Representative
ACDI/VOCA is a private, nonprofit international development organization providing high-quality technical expertise at the request of farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, and private and government agencies abroad.
In October 1996, Agricultural Cooperative Development International (ACDI) merged with Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA) to form ACDI/VOCA. ACDI provided long- and short-term experts for a variety of rural and micro finance, agricultural marketing and agribusiness projects in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia. Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA) was founded in 1970 to recruit senior-level U.S. volunteer specialists to assist cooperatives, agricultural enterprises, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies around the world.
ACDI/VOCA advances development goals through a unique, cost-effective program that draws on accomplished specialists, many of who are volunteers, to carry out its activities. Working at the enterprise level, ACDI/VOCA consultants provide an array of technical skills that introduces new ideas, improved technologies and proven management practices. This transfer of technical know-how supports the development of democratic societies at the grass-roots level and addresses the pressing economic and food production concerns of entrepreneurs taking steps to become stronger players in local, regional and global marketplaces.
ACDI/VOCA has 42 member organizations: the U.S. farm credit banks and major grower, supply, and processing agribusiness cooperatives. ACDI/VOCA is affiliated with the Farm Credit Council (FCC) and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC). Our members form an extensive resource network of commercial, private sector experience as well as unique expertise in the U.S. cooperative credit, agribusiness, and agricultural cooperative systems.
Owned and supported by some of the largest grower-owned, supply and processing cooperatives and farm credit banks in the United States, ACDI/VOCA is collaborating on numerous long–term projects. Nearly 4,000 U.S. agricultural, environmental, financial and other business professionals have volunteered to share their expertise through ACDI/VOCA in developing countries and emerging democracies.
ACDI/VOCA receives funding for its programs from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the World Bank and regional development banks, the agricultural cooperatives represented on its board of directors, and gifts, grants and donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.
ACDI/VOCA programs are concentrated in the areas of Volunteer Services, Agriculture Production, Processing and Marketing Systems, Cooperative and Association Development, Rural Finance, International Agribusiness Partnerships, Natural Resource Management and Food for Development.
ACDI/VOCA - Armenia Active in Armenia since 1992, ACDI/VOCA maintains an office in Yerevan. ACDI/VOCA is one of the first international Organizations started their activities in the Country. Long presence in the Country therefore reflected in significant experience and knowledge of agricultural and economic development, its dynamics and trends. Large experience resulted also in establishment of vast number of contacts, partners and key players of the industry starting from individual farmers and enterprises up to large Companies and Government structures. Programs focus on developing the technical and management capacities of farmers, processors, privately based agricultural information systems, and other agro-enterprises. ACDI/VOCA has also organized a local consultancy group VISTAA Expert Centre, which uses local agricultural and business specialists to assist emerging entrepreneurs.
ACDI/VOCA has identified undeveloped technical and business skills, and an unorganized input and technical services sector as key constraints limiting local agribusiness development in Armenia. Since 1992 220 US volunteer assignments were completed with over 700 Armenian clients. The technical work of the office is based in agribusiness and association development, development and dissemination of a set of best practices, increase sustainability of private agribusinesses, increase capacity of support organizations, strengthen rural finance system, and small and medium scale enterprise development.
In order to address these needs ACDI/VOCA is: -Developing "core" enterprises to serve as input and training centres for large numbers of entrepreneurs -Introducing practical "value-added" technologies in order to maximize market potential and profits -Strengthening management skills through hands-on technical assistance and seminars (i.e.: farm management seminars, budget development and credit access workshops) -Organizing local agricultural and management specialists into a not-for-profit consultancy service (VISTAA Expert Center) i.e.: building commercial linkages between unemployed scientists, businesspersons, and progressive farmers and businesses in need of technical support and training.
In Armenia ACDI/VOCA is implementing both its own grass-roots rural development program as well as cooperating with other international and development agencies through providing expert, short-term technical assistance in support of their long-term development programs. Since April 1995 ACDI/VOCA – Armenia has received USAID Armenia mission grant that helped to expend the impact of its existing activities. Provided funding allowed to develop two components: establishment of local NGO – VISTAA that provides consultants to agribusinesses, and demonstration fund for providing financial assistance for new product/technology development, long term development projects, institutional capacity building, vulnerable communities.
In an effort to continue providing sustainable development services in Armenia in the future, ACDI/VOCA, while maintaining its current activities, will stress on the expansion in the area of financial services promoting capital investments in farm and agribusinesses. Without access to credit and other financial services, an agriculturally based economy is often doomed to the subsistence level. ACDI/VOCA has developed proven methods to extend these crucial services to rural communities - methods that can be tailored to the realities of the local economy and that reflect sound financial practices. ACDI/VOCA Armenia will assure its success through its ties with the world's new crop of entrepreneurs, prominent U.S. agribusiness members and international partners. ACDI/VOCA is uniquely positioned to help forge global partnerships. These relationships promote market economies, create prosperity, and increase employment opportunities and boost trade.
Current activities Since its establishment in Armenia 160 US volunteers assignments were implemented in the Country for over 400 Armenian clients. Besides one local NGO - VISTAA was created to implement local consultant services to agribusinesses.
