Sustainable livelihoods
Building business networking for cattle farmers in East Nusa Tenggara
As part of the efforts to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods of small-scale producers as well as agricultural workers and their families in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the International Labour Organization (ILO) will organize a business forum for local cattle farmers titled “Building Business Networking for Cattle Farmers” in Kupang District, Kupang, NTT, on 18 May 2016.
KUPANG (ILO News): As part of the efforts to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods of small-scale producers as well as agricultural workers and their families in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), the International Labour Organization (ILO) will organize a business forum for local cattle farmers titled “Building Business Networking for Cattle Farmers” in Kupang District, Kupang, NTT, on 18 May 2016.
Cattle is one of the important sectors and source of livelihoods for people of NTT. The business forum is aimed to better link the cattle supply and demand from cattle farmers at the district level to buyers at the provincial level. The forum is also aimed to provide a venue for participants to exchange information regarding cattle production and supply information from the farmers and demand specification needed from the buyers as an effort to enhance and strengthen the business network between cattle farmers and buyers to address the existing gap of cattle supply and demand.
Francesco d’Ovidio, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia, stated that the promotion of food security and sustainable livelihoods through decent work has been a long standing commitment of the ILO. “Decent jobs for all, including for agricultural workers and their families, can stimulate food production, processing and accessibility and, in turn, can provide income to all people exit poverty and to be food-secure. Therefore, I believe through this business forum, together we can accelerate the local economic growth and ensure the food security in this province,” he continued.
The business forum is conducted by the ILO through its Decent Work for Food Security and Sustainable Rural Development Project in NTT. The main goal of the Project is to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods of small-scale producer and agricultural workers and their families through enhanced decent work conditions and opportunities in key agro-food value chains with high employment, income generation and productivity potential. The Project focuses on four selected districts: Timur Tengah Selatan (TTS), Kupang, Belu and Sumba Timur. In the first three districts, the programme concentrates on livestock and maize production while in Sumba Timur on seaweed cultivation.
Prior to the business forum, the ILO through its local partners and local university had provided technical supports to smallholder cattle farmers as part of the value chain development intervention. The programmes were designed to enhance the capacity of the farmers to improve their trading and business management skills through a series of entrepreneurship and financial education trainings as well as support on cattle production. Under this programme, around 250 selected cattle farmers in six villages had been involved and gained benefits. They have also formed four local collective marketing groups at the village level.
In addition to the business forum, the ILO’s Country Director is going to visit one of the project site, Pakubang Village of Kupang district, where he is going to directly meet with local cattle farmers. He is also scheduled to meet with the Governor of NTT, Frans Lebu Raya, to further discuss about decent work related issues and employment opportunities and challenges in cattle sector.
“I am keen to have direct interactions with local farmers and their families and to learn more about the impact of the activities under the ILO’s Food Security programme on their living and working conditions. I am also keen to meet our partners in the field, including the local government of NTT, who has provided a strong support to this programme,” said Francesco, commenting his first visit to NTT.
ILO’s Decent Work for Food Security Coordinator
Email: yunirwan@ilo.org
Gita Lingga
ILO’s Communications Officer
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 115
Email: gita@ilo.org
Decent jobs for all, including for agricultural workers and their families, can stimulate food production, processing and accessibility and, in turn, can provide income to all people exit poverty and to be food-secure. Therefore, I believe through this business forum, together we can accelerate the local economic growth and ensure the food security in this province."
Francesco d’Ovidio, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia
Francesco d’Ovidio, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia, stated that the promotion of food security and sustainable livelihoods through decent work has been a long standing commitment of the ILO. “Decent jobs for all, including for agricultural workers and their families, can stimulate food production, processing and accessibility and, in turn, can provide income to all people exit poverty and to be food-secure. Therefore, I believe through this business forum, together we can accelerate the local economic growth and ensure the food security in this province,” he continued.
The business forum is conducted by the ILO through its Decent Work for Food Security and Sustainable Rural Development Project in NTT. The main goal of the Project is to promote food security and sustainable livelihoods of small-scale producer and agricultural workers and their families through enhanced decent work conditions and opportunities in key agro-food value chains with high employment, income generation and productivity potential. The Project focuses on four selected districts: Timur Tengah Selatan (TTS), Kupang, Belu and Sumba Timur. In the first three districts, the programme concentrates on livestock and maize production while in Sumba Timur on seaweed cultivation.
Prior to the business forum, the ILO through its local partners and local university had provided technical supports to smallholder cattle farmers as part of the value chain development intervention. The programmes were designed to enhance the capacity of the farmers to improve their trading and business management skills through a series of entrepreneurship and financial education trainings as well as support on cattle production. Under this programme, around 250 selected cattle farmers in six villages had been involved and gained benefits. They have also formed four local collective marketing groups at the village level.
In addition to the business forum, the ILO’s Country Director is going to visit one of the project site, Pakubang Village of Kupang district, where he is going to directly meet with local cattle farmers. He is also scheduled to meet with the Governor of NTT, Frans Lebu Raya, to further discuss about decent work related issues and employment opportunities and challenges in cattle sector.
“I am keen to have direct interactions with local farmers and their families and to learn more about the impact of the activities under the ILO’s Food Security programme on their living and working conditions. I am also keen to meet our partners in the field, including the local government of NTT, who has provided a strong support to this programme,” said Francesco, commenting his first visit to NTT.
For further information please contact:
Yunirwan GahILO’s Decent Work for Food Security Coordinator
Email: yunirwan@ilo.org
Gita Lingga
ILO’s Communications Officer
Tel.: +6221 3913112 ext. 115
Email: gita@ilo.org