Multiplying Impact for Smallholder Farmers

Abstract

Smallholder farmers around the world often find themselves at the nexus of poverty and environmental degradation. Promotion of savings groups has become a well-recognized strategy for addressing poverty. Evidence shows that while savings group promotion can result in positive impact, these results are often small. This paper examines a quasi-experimental (difference-in-differences) study of an integrated approach to savings group promotion, combining a savings methodology with participatory training in regenerative agriculture/agroecology techniques. After 2 years of participation, farmers who participated in both church-based savings group activities and regenerative agriculture training saw positive change across economic, environmental, and spiritual dimensions, with the treatment group experiencing a 39% decrease in poverty as measured by a multidimensional poverty index relative to the control group. Results support the integration of savings methodologies with agricultural training to multiply impact among smallholder farmer communities.