Growing Together, Gaining Together: A Move Toward Systemic Agricultural Growth

Introduction

In Guyana’s farming communities, a quiet revolution is taking root—not through quick fixes, but through a deep and deliberate commitment to Inclusive Market Systems (IMS) and systemic change. At the heart of this transformation lies a simple truth: markets grow strongest when people are empowered first.

Farmers—especially women, youth, and small scale groups—are no longer passive recipients of aid. They’re becoming active decision-makers, thanks in part to transformative partnerships like the one between the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) under the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean project, funded by the Government of Canada (GAC).

Rooted in IMS principles, this collaboration tackled the root causes of market fragmentation and exclusion by investing in people. Beginning in October 2022, the Farmers Capacity Building Program united government agencies, private sector actors, and civil society to equip farmers with knowledge in good agricultural practices, financial literacy, and climate-smart farming. Beyond technical skills, the program built confidence, trust, and a sense of ownership—shifting mindsets so that farmers became not just workers, but entrepreneurs and innovators.

Capacity building in action: Farmers gain skills, confidence, and climate-smart practices through the ongoing program launched in October 2022.

A Framework for Change: AAER

As this transformation unfolded, a powerful framework emerged to help make sense of the change: AAER—Adopt, Adapt, Expand, Respond. More than a checklist, AAER became a compass, guiding the agricultural sector’s evolution and helping stakeholders understand how and why change was happening—and why it was sticking.

Adopt: Stepping into New Ways of Working

The journey began with Adopt, when farmers and institutions started exploring new approaches. This wasn’t just about attending workshops; it was about challenging old habits.

One early and impactful example was the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board’s (PTCCB) safe chemical storage initiative. Instead of simply handing out equipment, PTCCB created a community-based model: farmers entered raffles to win specially designed chemical storage cabinets—on the condition that they participate in local safety campaigns and allow peer inspections. The initiative transformed these cabinets into more than just tools; they became visible symbols of responsibility and change—showing that safer farming starts at home, one farmer at a time.

Farmers stand proudly beside a chemical storage cabinet won through PTCCB’s community safety initiative—turning safe storage into a symbol of responsibility and change.

Adapt: Making Change Personal

Next came Adapt, when farmers began reshaping new practices to fit their specific realities—adjusting safety protocols to suit their land, budgets, and available resources.

Institutions adapted too. PTCCB started customizing training to reflect the learning styles and cultural contexts of different communities. At a capacity-building session on International Men’s Day 2024, PTCCB highlighted men’s role in promoting safe farming practices—showing how local identity and inclusive messaging can be woven into systemic innovation. This phase proved that change is most effective not when it’s copied, but when it’s made relevant.

PTCCB adapted training to local cultures. On International Men’s Day 2024, they highlighted men’s role in safe farming—showing change works best when it’s made relevant.

Expand: Scaling What Works

With confidence and relevance came Expand—when success moved beyond pilot programs into broader adoption.

A prime example was the Farmer-to-Business Symposium held at Splashmin’s, where over 90 participants—farmers, agro-processors, and buyers—engaged in direct matchmaking. One inspiring story came from Ameer Rahim, a smallholder farmer who, through mentorship and business development support, launched Country Side Flavours, transforming local produce into market-ready goods. His journey from cultivation to commercialization demonstrated how inclusive systems create space for entrepreneurs to rise.

Matchmaking in action: Farmers, buyers, and processors connect at the Splashmin’s Symposium.

In Georgetown, expansion took another form: 25 blind and visually impaired farmers were trained to use sensory-based techniques—relying on touch, sound, and scent to manage crops. Supported by WUSC, NAREI, and Green Agro Supplies, they successfully brought high-quality lettuce to market. This wasn’t inclusion as charity—it was inclusion as strategy.

Blind farmers in Georgetown engage with soil, using touch and sound to grow fresh lettuce—turning inclusion into strategy.

Meanwhile, in Region 5, women and youth began leading agro-processing efforts. With support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, they turned cassava into flour, peppers into sauces, and mangoes into bottled juices.

Capacity building in Region 5: Women and youth attend training to boost agro-processing with support from the Ministry and New GMC.

Respond: Systems That Evolve

Perhaps the most powerful sign of transformation is found in Respond—when institutions evolve to meet the needs of a changing reality.

The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) didn’t just increase access to credit—it reimagined it. Through its GROW initiative, GBTI developed credit products shaped by real feedback from farmers and agro-processors. Combined with the new Security Interests in Moveable Property Bill—which allows crops and equipment to be used as collateral—finance in Guyana has become more flexible, inclusive, and grounded in the realities of small-scale agriculture.

Even regulatory bodies are responding. PTCCB shifted from an enforcement-only approach to one of facilitation, launching multi-agency campaigns that reach across the entire value chain. These shifts show that systems aren’t just enabling innovation—they're transforming alongside it.

GBTI Grow launch: Credit solutions shaped by farmers, redefining access to finance.

A Growing Network: Guyana Agri Connect

To bring all these efforts together, Guyana Agri Connect was launched as a cross-sector platform grounded in the AAER philosophy. It links government, private sector, NGOs, and farmers—moving systemic change beyond isolated projects and into a cohesive ecosystem of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and aligned incentives.

By mid-2025, this momentum had rippled across multiple regions, with Farmer-to-Business events unlocking new markets and deepening trust among stakeholders. While some farmers remain cautious, these grassroots connections show that true systemic change is gradual, relationship-driven, and rooted in shared purpose.

A Transformation Rooted in People

What sets Guyana’s transformation apart is depth and sustainability. AAER doesn't just ask how many tools were handed out—it asks:

• Are people making change their own?

• Is that change spreading?

• Are systems stepping up to support it?

In Guyana, the answer is a resounding yes.

Through IMS principles and the guiding AAER framework, farmers like Ameer and Maria, institutions like PTCCB and GBTI, and platforms like Guyana Agri Connect are proving that when people grow together, markets—and communities—gain together.

This is more than an agricultural shift. It’s a human story of empowerment, connection, and sustainable futures. In Guyana, agriculture isn’t just about crops—it’s about cultivating resilience, dignity, and inclusive prosperity for all.