Special Report Brian Lund October 2015

As we head toward a new juncture in programming we are presented with the opportunity to reflect on what we have achieved over that last 10 years- in this instance SRI and SfC which have so often served as the flagships of our portfolio in East Asia. In that time Oxfam America invested an accumulative figure of near $12M in partners, governments and people who in turn realized near $153M at farm gate and household levels. At the same time Oxfam America and others also aimed at influencing investments in policy and practice that contributed to national-scale returns totaling $478M. The return-on-investment (ROI) has been so high as to make the calculation difficult to convey. Instead a return-per-dollar calculation allows a more comprehensible measure.

SRI-­‐KH   SRI-­‐VN   SFC-­‐KH   total  Total  Oxfam  investment  over  10  years   3,763,559  $               3,485,290  $               4,533,065  $             11,781,914  $            Return  from  OA  direct  investment  in  delivery  agencies   10,859,893  $             104,439,030  $         37,220,896  $       152,519,819  $        Return  on  national  program  (OA  invested  in  influence)   154,889,534  $         286,309,213  $         37,220,896  $       478,419,642  $        ROI              [  (return-­‐cost)/cost  ]  OA  direct  investment  in  delivery  agencies   189%   2897%   721%   1195%  national  program  (OA  investment  in  influence)   4016%   8115%   721%   3961%  Return  per  dollar          [  return/cost  ]  OA  direct  investment  in  delivery  agencies   3   30   8   13  national  program  (OA  investment  in  influence)   41   82   8   41  

Financial performance indicators

Farmer in Takeo, Cambodia

 

 

SRI in Cambodia

In Cambodia the program proved impressive, in often repeated instances reportedly doubling the yield results achieved by smallholders who otherwise where resigned to surviving on some of the worst performing rice yields in the Mekong. This success was such that the UNDP in 2012 acknowledged SRI as one of only three programs in Cambodia with the potential to positively affect the then waning MDGs if taken to scale. For Oxfam’s part the statistics show that our partners reached over 58,000 people and that they gained over $10 million at the farm gate. Oxfam’s investment over this time totaled $3.7M over the 10 years with an average return of $3 for every $1 invested by Oxfam

SRI in Vietnam

SRI in Vietnam proved even more impressive. After an initial season of trial plots the government immediately began making genuine public sector investments in numerous provinces that greatly accelerated the program. Based on the statistics provided by the Vietnamese Government, the program in the provinces supported by Oxfam reached 0.8 million smallholders and added $100M to the rural economy – again via the pocket of the smallholder. However, importantly this program was influential in encouraging public and development sector investment in SRI so that in total SRI reached over 1.8M people and contributed $286M to Vietnam’s rural smallholder economy. Today this investment continues and the Vietnamese government is clearly amongst the global champions supporting smallholders in accessing this package.

Oxfam’s investment over this time totaled $3.5M over the 10 years with an average return of $30 for every $1 invested by Oxfam

Farmers adapted SRI in Takeo, Cambodia

 

 

SRI  program    directly    

supported    by  OA  

SRI  program    across  Vietnam  

SRI  program    directly    

supported    by  OA  

SRI  program    across    Vietnam  

SRI  program    directly    

supported  by  OA  SRI  program  across    

Vietnam  

2006    $                  50,000     trial     3,450    trial      n.a.     n.a  2007    $              332,151     n.a   95,000                                  170                            33,000      $                              110      $                            18,700     3,630,000  $                              2008    $              504,501     115,713   232,269                        35,414                            71,241      $                              110      $                  3,895,540     7,836,510  $                              2009    $              523,158     167,434   440,833                        37,484                            85,422      $                              170      $                  6,372,280     14,521,740  $                          2010    $              524,114     405,199   817,939                        57,498                        151,311      $                              159      $                  9,142,182     24,058,449  $                          2011    $              431,475     609,257   1,070,384                        74,669                        185,065      $                              191      $              14,246,845     35,310,402  $                          2012    $              271,593     691,650   1,240,800                        84,429                        270,500      $                              191      $              16,125,939     51,665,500  $                          2013    $              294,832     734,168   1,435,250                        88,247                        366,951      $                              192      $              16,908,125     70,307,812  $                          2014    $              304,419     774,952   1,813,201                        92,994                        394,894      $                              200      $              18,598,848     78,978,800  $                          2015    $              249,047     795,475   n.a                        98,866      n.a      $                              194      $              19,130,571     n.a  

3,485,290  $             569,771                     1,558,384                 1,516  $                           104,439,030  $               286,309,213  $                      Source:    PPD/PPSD  reports,  grant  reports  

SRI in Vietnam

OUS    Investment  

No.  farmers  adopting  SRI    (HH)   Area  of  SRI  (ha)   Estimated  value    added  to  rural    

economy  (USD)  Year  

Avg  income    increased    

comparing  to    conventional    rice  (USD/ha)  

Farmer in Chau Doan Vietname

 

 

Saving for Change in Cambodia

For Saving for Change the story is also positive, particularly as this program becomes increasingly recognized by affiliates and other development agencies as a platform for village self-reliance. Alongside SRI, SfC was one of only three programs in Cambodia recognized by the UNDP as poised to positively affect the then waning MDGs the UNDP if taken to scale in 2012.

The program has now reached 140,000 people, 80% of whom are women and 25% of whom have adopted leadership roles in their savings groups and communities.

Oxfam’s investment over this time totaled $4.5M over the 10 years and for every $1 invested by Oxfam the communities have controlled near $7 in their own savings and loans.

Brach Saren, 36, a strong SfC member in Takeo province since 2006 said she has enough saving money to buy two hectares of farmland that can produce around 8 tones of rice each year. She also bought a brand new motorbike for her children to ride to school and supported their study up to high school.

 

 

Looking forward

Relevance to OCSs

Platform for some serious WIN

Step-off for stronger work on innovation/ appropriate mechanization/ CCA/ Value chain work

Accumulative    reach  

annual    reach  

women                      (%  annual    reach)  

Accumulative    savings  

annual    savings  

Accumulative    loans  

annual    loans  

FY05   161,410  $                                                        -­‐                                            -­‐         0   0   0   0   0  FY06   353,856  $                                      28,403                      28,403     60%    $                443,648                      443,648      $                          266,189      $        266,189    FY07   306,559  $                                      37,511                          9,108     60%    $                613,073                      169,426      $                          367,844      $        101,656    FY08   580,331  $                                      53,123                      15,612     74%    $        1,342,314                      729,241      $                    1,262,956      $        895,112    FY09   666,185  $                                      89,765     36,642                     82%    $        3,324,553              1,982,239      $                    3,221,112      $  1,958,156    FY10   349,250  $                                      95,308     5,543                           81%    $        3,484,600                      160,047      $                    3,359,339      $        138,227    FY11   909,767  $                                109,760                      27,970     81%    $        4,890,869              1,406,269      $                    4,466,255      $  1,106,916    FY13*   240,012  $                                129,853                          6,567     82%    $        5,435,332                      544,463      $                    4,781,439      $        315,184    FY14   244,303  $                                133,907                          4,062     83%    $        5,741,834                      306,502      $                    5,029,934      $        248,495    FY15   379,397  $                                137,620     3,713                           82%    $        5,912,506                      170,672      $                    5,186,661      $        156,726    FY16   341,995  $                                139,008     1,388                           82%    $        6,032,167                      119,661      $                    5,281,119      $              94,459    Total    $  4,533,065      $    37,220,896      $                33,222,848    Source:  Oxfam  MIS  

SfC in Cambodia

Oxfam’s    Investment    ($USD)  

Members  savings  ($USD)   Savings  used  for  Loans  ($USD)  No.  members  reached    Years