THE FARMERS' VOICE
RADIO ACADEMY
Farmers’ Voice Radio is transforming the lives of millions of farmers in rural communities through the power of radio. The Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy can give you and your organisation the skills and tools you need to set up your own Farmers’ Voice Radio project that will raise farmers’ voices and complement your existing work to strengthen rural livelihoods and improve lives.
This short video made by Farmers' Voice Radio Academy implementation partner in Ghana, PDA Africa, provides insights into what the training involves and shares the experience and views of a number of participants of the 2026 Academy programme for Ghanaian cocoa cooperatives.
Since 2022, the Farmers’ Voice Radio (FVR) Academy has trained representatives of 70 organisations working with smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In 2026 we brought the Academy to Ghana for the first time, with training targeted at smallholder cocoa farmer cooperatives and delivered in partnership with PDA Africa.
The Academy complements our online resources, through:
Group training
sessions
+
Individual coaching and support
+
Community of Practice
+
Start-up
grant competition
46 individuals from 14 cocoa cooperatives from across the Ghana cocoa belt participated in the 2026 training programme and are now in the planning phase of their Farmers' Voice Radio programmes. Representatives from other organisations that work in and support the Ghanaian cocoa sector also participated in the workshop, including Beyond Beans, International Cocoa Initiative, Fairtrade Africa, Nyankopa, Safecrop Ltd, Socodevi, Solidaridad and Tony’s Open Chain.
Following significant demand from cocoa cooperatives whom we were unable to accommodate in the first Academy programme, we are currently working on plans for a second Academy in 2027.
Eligible participants for the 2027 FVR Cocoa Academy:
Representatives of registered cocoa cooperatives or cooperative unions with a minimum of 100 cocoa farmer members, located in one or more of Ghana’s cocoa growing regions. You must have a mission of empowering smallholder cocoa farmers and an idea for how a Farmers’ Voice Radio programme could benefit both your own members and cocoa growing communities more broadly.
The course is free of charge, but applicants must:
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Be able and willing to attend 2 x 2-day workshops (most likely in Kumasi) in March/April 2027, and to undertake project research and development in the interim 4-6 week period.
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Be able to participate fully in training and mentoring delivered in English.
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Have the time and human resource capacity to dedicate to the development and implementation of a participatory radio programme.
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Be able and willing to abide by LYF’s Code of Conduct and respond to feedback requests.
What participants will gain from the Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy:
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The skills, knowledge and tools to design and implement a Farmers’ Voice Radio programme series in YOUR context.
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Support to develop a Farmers’ Voice Radio proposal that can be pitched to partners and donors.
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For successful graduates, the opportunity to apply for a limited number of start-up grants (max £3,000) from The Lorna Young Foundation. This will be a competitive process and will involve the submission of a full project proposal and budget and some basic due diligence.
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A Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy Certificate and social media badge.
Key benefits for cooperatives and farmers:
Check back here later in the final quarter of 2026 for more information and details on how to apply.
What past participants say....
"The Academy reaffirmed something I deeply believe in, i.e farmers must be at the centre of the conversations that affect their lives and livelihoods. Participatory radio like Farmers' Voice Radio is a powerful, accessible tool to make that happen, cutting across literacy barriers, geographic distances, and resource constraints."
Emmanuel Fiifi Musah, Human Rights and Community Development Officer, Tony's Chocolonely, Ghana
“This training is extremely interesting… We were able to go through all the stages involved in setting up and running a radio programme that works. Our [FVR] programme will provide producers with a channel for exchange and expression, enabling them to get their messages across and feel listened to. It will also raise the profile of their work, their communities and the coffee and cocoa supply chain. It's a good way of encouraging communities and recognising their important role."
Célia Vidal, Beyond Beans Sustainability Project Manager and 2023 FVR Academy Graduate and start-up grant recipient, working with smallholder coffee and cocoa farmer members of the Union Kloto-Centre in the Plateaux region of Togo.
"Participating in the Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy was a deeply enriching experience. I really enjoyed the practical way the content was developed and the opportunity to share it with people from different countries and rural areas. I learned how to plan a purposeful radio programme, connect with my audience, and think of radio as a tool for community transformation. It exceeded my expectations.
I hope our radio programme strengthens the coffee-producing identity of our communities, helps members make informed decisions, and creates a permanent channel for participation. We want our messages to reach even the most remote corners, where there's no internet, but a radio is always on. This learning will help us communicate with heart and strategy who we are and what we dream of as a cooperative."
Uziel Roblero Hernandez, 2025 FVR Academy Graduate and start-up grant recipient from cooperative society Café Capitán in Chiapas, Mexico.
You can find out more about the participants and the radio programmes they have gone on to implement by visiting our dedicated webpages: FVR Academy 2022, FVR Academy 2023 and FVR Academy for Latin American coffee organisations.
If you would like to sponsor a place on the Academy programme, making Farmers' Voice Radio skills and knowledge available to more organisations, please visit the 'Support Us' page to donate now.
