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Welcome to the 31st annual ECHO International Agriculture Conference! This event brings together industry leaders, practitioners, researchers, and educators dedicated to eradicating hunger and improving lives through agriculture and community development. Our plenary, breakout, and workshop sessions offer valuable opportunities for learning and collaboration.

Attendees will have the chance to hear from speakers who share their agricultural challenges and successes, personal experiences, and transferrable principles for addressing food insecurity. Along with learning from presenters, delegates will also have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience at ECHO's Small Farm Resource Center during the afternoon breakout sessions. Networking with like-minded individuals is a key highlight of the conference. 

Join us from November 12-14 in Fort Myers, Florida for this important gathering. (Check-in available on November 11th and 12th). Additionally, there will be an optional one-day post-conference workshops on November 15th. We invite you to celebrate more than 30 years of networking and learning together at this enriching event.

This 1-week course is designed for development workers, missionaries, and volunteers looking to engage their communities with low-cost, high-impact agricultural ideas and techniques. Participants will be introduced to various agricultural practices and technologies through classroom time and hands-on activities on the farm, learning to 'use what you have to make what you need.'

This course is considered an 'introductory survey course' and will present a broad overview of many options suited to smallholder agricultural contexts in Asia.

Those interested in preparing for short to long-term involvement in international agriculture development are encouraged to participate in this five-day course.  Topics and discussions will focus on improved food security and agricultural livelihoods for small-scale farmers in developing countries.  Participants will be introduced to the complexities related to poverty and community development.  They will also be introduced to principles and practices that contribute toward maintaining healthy and productive soil as well as improved water management and crop production (e.g., annuals and perennials). The vital role of livestock and appropriate technology is also incorporated into the course. During the week, activities will include presentations, farm-based practicums, consultations with ECHO staff, and opportunities for research in the ECHO Resource Library. 

What is offered:

This course covers a broad range of topics relevant to those starting in agricultural development in a tropical environment.  The purpose of this class is to expose you to several different ideas and concepts.  Although a significant amount of time will be spent looking at examples on the ECHO Farm, given the breadth of topics covered, extensive hands-on farm work should not be an expectation of taking this course.

Language: This course is offered in English

Faith and Farming is a scripture engagement initiative, connecting the Bible with everyday farmers' experiences to facilitate the impact of Bible translation. It has two primary goals, to help all those who work on the land to:

1) engage with all of the Bible in the language that they use as they work on their farms or with their animals, and
2) make a connection between their faith in God and their day to day work, so that their whole life is impacted and reflects God’s greatness in everything they do and say.

To do this, the Faith and Farming materials highlight and draw on the many farmers in the Bible, including God Himself, the very first "farmer" who planted the Garden of Eden.

The LEAD Community of Practice and ECHO North America Impact Centre are excited to be hosting this training event, contextualising the Faith and Farming materials for community engagement workers in the Americas. The event is suitable for both farmers and those who work alongside and support farmers, and will provide an introduction to the wider Faith and Farming curriculum for those who would like to incorporate its principles into their own work. Visit the Faith and Farming website for more information about the Faith and Farming programme.

While efforts will be made to ensure the material is relevant and appropriate for the Americas region, as with all training, much of the material covered will need to be sensitively considered and potentially adapted for implementation in your own unique work setting. It should also be noted that this training event is open to people of differing faiths and no faith, and the LEAD community of practice recognises the benefits of diversity when dealing with complex topics. However, for this event in particular the training will be based on stories and principles from the Christian Bible. Please consider carefully whether this is an event that you will be comfortable participating in fully.

Event Goal:

Participants return to their organisations and places of work with a better understanding of the connections between their faith, farming and agriculture more broadly, and are equipped and motivated to share their learning with others.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the event participants will have...

1. A basic theological understanding of the connections between Faith and Farming,

2. Reviewed and considered what the Bible has to say about farming and agriculture more broadly, and what the implications are for us as we work with the land in a sustainable way,

3. Considered what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a farmer and the implications for Scripture Engagement initiatives,

4. Seen firsthand a selection of sustainable farming techniques demonstrated at the ECHO Global Farm,

5. Begun to plan what their next steps are for incorporating their learning into their own work and context.

And (our hope is that) by six months after the event participants will have run one training event in their own location, with the support of others as needed.

We are soliciting potential presenters  and attendees for the 8th ECHO East Africa Biennial Symposium in collaboration with Hope International Burundi, to be held in Bujumbura from the 25th - 27th February, 2025, a three day sharing event to be held at the King's Conference Center (KCC)  in Bujumbura, Burundi. The event will draw participants from all across East Africa to address issues of sustainable agriculture and appropriate technologies. We prefer presentations with practical information for cross-organizational learning which may be of use to enhance farmers' knowledge, increase capacity for food & fuel & fodder production, generate income using low external inputs, not increasing land under cultivation but intensifying and using resources more efficiently, reducing waste/erosion, and enhancing the environment. 

Your organization's work is well known and respected in the region, and you have been suggested as a presenter, based upon the ideas we have been discussing with the Burundi planning team. ECHO truly hopes that you might participate in this symposium to address needs, share innovations and best practices in your work. 

We anticipate to host up to 150 participants, including lead farmers, extension workers, development workers, donors, government officials and others interested in rural or agricultural development including processors and others in the value chains.

This is a five day, hands-on course that will focus on food forests and garden design. By taking this course you will learn how to design and start a food forest in your own backyard. Participants will walk through the design process with professional designers, starting from setting goals, surveying the piece of land, building a base map, considering earthworks, and creatively designing around constraints.

Attendees will be able to see and apply these principles to a small garden or a large plot of land. This training is also beneficial to missionaries to be able to help individuals in food insecure areas around the world have a foundation to bring nutrition into their lives from their own backyard.

We are delighted to invite you to present and partcipate at the upcoming Innovation Exchange Conference, hosted in collaboration with Waterlines and ECHO East Africa. This event will occur from 16th to 18th July 2025 at the Uhuru Hostel & Conference Centre in Moshi, Tanzania. The purpose of this exchange is to have groups funded by the Watersheds Foundation and previously by Waterlines come together to present their innovative ideas in food security, sustainable livelihoods, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Through this engagement, ECHO will bring together participants from across East Africa to share innovative ideas and appropriate technologies.

This two-day event is designed to foster practical and cross-organizational learning. We are particularly interested in presentations that will strengthen participants' knowledge of watersheds, WASH, food security, sustainable fuel, income generation using low external inputs, resource efficiency, reducing waste and erosion, and supporting environmental sustainability.

Your organization is highly regarded in the region, and based on discussions with our organizing team, we would be honored to have you present at this important event. We believe your insights and best practices will greatly contribute to addressing the challenges faced by water users and small-scale farmers.