Village savings and lending as a gateway to the dissemination and adoption of innovations in agriculture

Village Savings and Lending Associations (VSLA), a form of micro-banking in rural communities, allows smallholder farmers to acquire the capital required to invest in their agricultural enterprises, while also serving as a gateway to learn about new innovations in agriculture. This presentation will focus on successful VSLA-agriculture integrated models in Africa and Asia that have helped increase community food security.

Presenter:

Angela Boss lives in Cumberland, BC and is the food security and agriculture technical adviser for World Renew, a bi-national Christian Relief and Development Organization. She holds a BS in International Agriculture and an MA in Human Security and Peacebuilding. Angela has consulted on agriculture and food security programs in 19 countries, including the Central African Republic, India, Zambia, and Niger. Past employment with ECHO Inc. and the Foods Resource Bank have greatly contributed to her breadth of experience with more than 15 North American relief and development agencies and their overseas partners. Angela has a keen interest in the intersection of food security and human security, gender integration in agriculture, and climate-smart practices.