46 GERMINATION.CA JULY 2017 crops. It’s done through two programs: USAID-ACCESO, which ran until 2015, and its successor ACCESS to Markets (MERCADOS). In Honduras, where 60 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, growing a healthy crop can mean the difference between prosperity and poverty for a small- scale farmer. The CropLife partnership is part of the mission of USAID-ACCESO and ACCESS to Markets to tackle wide- spread poverty and boost farmers’ incomes in the country. Under the programs, the national member of CropLife Latin America called AHSAFE-Honduras has used special- ists to train field technicians with USAID-ACCESO and ACCESS to Markets on correct handling and application procedures for pesticides as well as how to dispose of pesticide containers properly. These field technicians in turn have passed their knowledge on to thousands of Honduran farmers, benefit- ting the lives of tens of thousands in Central America’s second-poorest nation. Briceño and Medlicott agree that the work in Honduras can be viewed as a powerful example of how public- private partnerships and good agricultural practices can address hunger and poverty around the world. “The days of doing things on your own are over,” says Briceño. Keys to Success When it comes to what makes a successful collabora- tion work, Jacobs lists honesty and integrity as important ingredients, while Medlicott asserts commitment is key. “Once you agree to do something, you have to have the commitment to follow it through,” he says. Briceño feels agreements should always start with clearly established objectives. "The first thing you need to do is be 100 per cent sure that you have identified a priority,” she says. Medlicott also believes it’s essential to spell things out at the onset. “It is important at the beginning to make sure that everything is clear in terms of timelines and who is doing what, when they're going to do it and how they’re going to do it. These are basic things but they need to be established out front,” he says. “It all boils down to a good business plan,” says Jacobs. “It’s important to agree on things contractually beforehand, walk through everything, make sure every- body understands what the purpose is. All the funding needs to be in place, and all the partners need to under- stand the funding exercise. You’ve got to start with a proper plan.” Preuss agrees. “You must have the discipline to write it down; that’s really important,” she says, “When you write that down, it’s very clearly stated what the obligations are for each side.” According to Preuss, financial planning should be included in this process. “If you run into challenges finan- cially and you haven't gone through this, that's usually where conflict creeps in,” she says. “Like a lot of relation- ships, if the financial issues have been solved ahead of time, it's going to work.” Preuss also feels there’s value in revisiting plans from time to time. “It’s really important periodically to read the original plan and ask if it has evolved, has it changed; if it has changed, make sure that everybody is on the same page as to where it’s going,” she says. “You’ve got to keep it kind of evergreen, is what I'm saying. It's good once in a while to sit down and ask ‘OK, are we still tracking?’” Preuss believes alignment on mission and vision is vital “so you are both working toward goals that are mutually beneficial,” and she also lists openness and communication as important ingredients in a successful collaboration. “With agriculture, there’s always some level of unpre- dictability. Things will happen, and you can't prepare for every contingency,” Preuss says, “If you have open com- munication, then you can figure how to solve challenges when they arise.” “THEMULTINATIONALSCANAFFORDTODOEVERYTHINGONTHEIROWNSOMETIMES,BUTEVENTHEN YOUSEETHEMPARTNERING.” –DaphnePreuss