The Abt Consortium
Abt Associates selected each subcontract firm on the basis of its capability to fulfill a specific role in RAISE PLUS, its high level of technical excellence, and its proven ability to address the many crucial issues related to the successful implementation of this work. Each of our main subcontract partners has decades of experience in international agricultural development in the broadest sense of the word, primarily, but not exclusively with USAID.
Abt has chosen to work with several universities because of their unique access to new and developing methodologies as well as experts in a variety of fields.
Purdue University is one of the world's most active centers of research, teaching, and outreach on economic issues concerning food, agriculture and natural resources.
Subcontractor U.C.-Davis is an acknowledged international leader in agricultural, biological, biotechnological and environmental sciences. U.C.-Davis was the most prolific research institution in publishing environmental and ecology research papers during 1996-2000, and was the highest-ranked university worldwide in the number of citations of research publications in agricultural science.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a public land grant university with extensive international agricultural marketing, research, policy and extension experience.
As with universities, non-profit organizations bring unique attributes such as fully developed regional networks and the capacity to assist with grassroots efforts to the Abt Consortium.
ACDI/VOCA is a private, non-profit international development organization with 40 years' experience providing technical assistance, training and managerial support in emerging markets and developing countries. ACDI/VOCA's main focus is sharing of U.S. expertise in the development and strengthening of agricultural organizations -- financial institutions, NGOs, and member-owned cooperative associations -- with the goal of empowering rural people and communities.
AED specializes in knowledge management and applying communication and marketing approaches and behavioral science principles to priority social issues such as food security and nutrition, agricultural technology transfer, environmental and natural resources management, civil society, and HIV/AIDS. AED has broad institutional capacity and experience in agricultural communication and productivity; environmental protection and natural resource management; the delivery of knowledge management products; in-country, third country, and US-based training; and, institutional and human capacity development; subcontractor.
Conservation International applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the hotspots, major tropical wilderness areas and key marine ecosystems.
The WFLO consists of over 300 warehouse companies in 50 countries around the world, as well as major food companies, which are involved in distribution of refrigerated and frozen foods.Along with these companies, WFLO is improving the application of refrigeration technology for the preservation and distribution of food and other commodities and training and educating industry personnel.
Finally, each of the private firms that are members of the Abt Consortium has specific experience in many of the core technical areas mentioned in the RFP.
Carana Corporation is recognized internationally in the fields of business and industry development, competitiveness, investment and export promotion.
The Services Group specializes in trade agreements and trade-related capacity-building, legal and regulatory frameworks, the promotion of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the management of Export Processing Zones (EPZ's) and spatial development initiatives (SDI's).
Technoserve offers a decades-long history in rural enterprise development and private agricultural organizations throughout the world. TechnoServe leverages the pro bono services of world-class business leaders, including McKinsey & Company, Cargill, Monsanto, Liz Claiborne, Ernst & Young, Young & Rubicam, General Mills/Pillsbury, Proctor & Gamble, and Peet's Coffee & Te-all of whom share the Abt Consortium's desire to make globalization inclusive. They offer our Consortium their counsel and their extensive pro bono services because, like us, and USAID, they want to see the potential benefits of globalization and economic growth reach the world's rural poor.
Wingerts Consulting, a small business, brings extensive sector planning and policy analysis experience to our Consortium.
AGRIDEC is a small minority-owned firm that specializes in input markets.
IBEX, a small minority-owned firm, specializes in computer technology, outreach programs, event planning, and knowledge management.
AIS Development is a small, woman-owned HUB Zone company specializing in market-oriented small and medium enterprise (SME) development and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, with a focus on rural poverty alleviation and market development.