Seeds of Stability: How Steven Transformed His Farm Through Partnership
A Fair Price for Hard Work
Dripping with sweat, Steven strained behind his plow, urging the implement forward as its sharp blade carved a furrow into the soil. It was backbreaking work. Steven had only the strength of his own hands to plow, sow, and harvest his 10 acres of corn outside Petauke, Zambia. But the work needed doing; Steven would do anything to provide for his family.
Like others in this rural town of 14,000, Steven struggled to afford seeds and fertilizer. To make matters worse, he worked without a ready market for his corn, with nothing but hope keeping him going. At the end of a season of hard work, Steven could be left with nothing to support his family. If he was able to find a buyer at the end of the season, they would often purchase his produce at the lowest possible price and resell it for a profit.
Steven was trapped in a precarious, stressful situation, one that could come crashing down at any moment like a house of cards.
A Sense of Assurance
Through Partners Worldwide, Steven connected with Good Nature Agro (GNA), a local seed production company that works to provide small-scale farmers with access to the marketplace. GNA evaluates market needs and then engineers high-quality seeds that are in demand. They sell the seeds to farmers like Steven for a fair price.
With GNA, Steven obtained soya bean seeds, which have a higher market resell value than corn. In addition, he secured a contract with GNA, agreeing that they will purchase (or “buy back”) his produce.
Now, his work is predictable. From the time he plants until the time he harvests, Steven can work with the assurance that he will be paid fairly for his crop. Gone are the days when he worked without knowing if his effort would pay off. Now, he can count on himself to support his family.
Since working with GNA, Steven and his family have seen a 50% increase in profit.
And this is just the beginning: soon, Steven and others in his community will have access to tractors in place of their hand plows that will enable them to farm even more land, further increasing their income.
Your Support Has Big Impact for Small-scale Farmers
Thanks to your generous giving, Partners Worldwide can provide Good Nature Agro with loans so that they have readily available resources to buy produce from farmers like Steven. It’s these complex, multifaceted relationships that are at the heart of what PW does, connecting people from all over the world to make change possible.
