Coffee farmers in Costa Rica mastering their cash flow
Burrus Development Group, in collaboration with the specialty coffee farmers association APROCETU and supported by the Swiss Embassy in Costa Rica, recently conducted an entrepreneurship training programme aimed at empowering smallholder coffee farmers. The training focused on teaching essential entrepreneurship skills and demonstrating how to use Fynka, a mobile app designed to help farmers master their cash flow. This initiative aims to enhance financial management capabilities, ensuring that farmers take informed decisions, manage their farms sustainably using regenerative agricultural practices and enhance their savings.
AFS Newsletter - Member Article by
Dr. Inès Burrus
Burrus Development Group (BDG) Sàrl
LinkedIn | ines@burrusdevelopment.com
In a collaborative endeavor led by Burrus Development Group, alongside the specialty coffee farmers association APROCETU and supported by the Swiss Embassy in Costa Rica, an innovative entrepreneurship training program was recently initiated. The primary aim of this initiative was to equip smallholder coffee farmers with essential entrepreneurial skills and introduce them to Fynka, a mobile application designed to streamline financial management within the agricultural sector.
The core objective of this initiative is to enhance the financial literacy and managerial capabilities of smallholder farmers, fostering informed decision-making, promoting sustainable agricultural practices rooted in regenerative agriculture principles, and bolstering their financial resilience through prudent savings mechanisms. As the training phase signals the commencement of our six-month pilot project, initial feedback from farmers regarding Fynka has been notably positive, indicating their readiness to integrate the application into their farming operations.
Throughout the duration of the training program, farmers demonstrated a keen interest in using Fynka, acknowledging its potential to improve their financial management practices. The application, tailored to the specific requirements of coffee farming, offers a range of intuitive features facilitating expense tracking, and financial analysis. By utilizing Fynka, farmers gained enhanced clarity and control over their cash flow dynamics, enabling them to make informed decisions crucial to the sustainable management of their farms.
A distinguishing feature of Fynka is its adaptability and scalability. Beyond its successful integration within the Costa Rican coffee farming context, the application's framework is engineered to transcend geographical and linguistic barriers. Its inherent versatility renders it equally applicable and effective across diverse agricultural landscapes and cultural contexts. Whether cultivating cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire, rice in Vietnam, or any crop in between, Fynka stands poised to serve as a catalyst for financial empowerment, irrespective of language or agricultural specialization.
As we progress into the subsequent phases of our pilot project, culminating in a comprehensive evaluation after six months, we maintain our steadfast commitment to exploring new opportunities for expansion into different geographic regions. With Fynka's adaptable infrastructure and demonstrated efficacy, we are well-positioned to embark on endeavors that extend the benefits of financial empowerment to farmers globally, thereby perpetuating sustainable agricultural practices and fostering economic resilience on a global scale.
In conclusion, we extend our sincere appreciation to the Swiss Embassy and APROCETU for their steadfast support and collaboration throughout this initiative. Their partnership has played a pivotal role in facilitating positive transformations within Costa Rica's coffee farming communities. As we navigate the path forward, guided by the principles of innovation and empowerment, we invite stakeholders and collaborators to join us in catalyzing positive change within the agricultural landscape, one farm at a time.