What We Do
Our main focus is consulting in organisational development, capacity development, results-based planning, monitoring and evaluation, applied research and teaching as well as specific technical issues. These include decentralisation and strengthening of good governance at the local level, rural development, food and nutrition security and local/regional economic and value chain promotion.
We offer our expertise in sustainable development of rural areas to programs and organisations. This includes advice on issues of sustainable agriculture, drinking-water supply and water management, access to affordable and reliable energy, cooperation of consultancy-service providers and producers (and their organisations) as well as the strengthening of self-help initiatives and groups.
Crisis often is a driver of change – and resilience is about enhanced capacities to actively and positively manage this change and enable wellbeing in spite of shocks, stresses and uncertainty.
We assess local and regional potentials to increase employment and income. We work with producers and their organisations, processors and retailers, public administrations, and consulting services. Together we identify missing functions, inefficiencies and management problems in product-specific value chains and develop solutions.
We consult and qualify organisations, networks, communities and policymakers in regard to measures that take into account all dimensions of sustainable food and nutrition security: resource-sustaining food production, social and productive infrastructure, diversification, food conservation and transformation, and marketing and awareness-building activities for the consumption of quality food by all members of a household.
Together with stakeholders from public administrations, business and civil society at national, as well as sub-national and local levels, we work on programs and projects aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the successful adaptation to climate change. This includes training and qualification of relevant actors as well as support in the process of implementation.