ECHO

For over 30 years, ECHO has been helping thousands of development workers and organizations around the world to better access vital information and other resources needed to improve food production and security for small farmers and gardeners. The ECHO International Headquarters is located at our campus in North Fort Myers, Florida. This campus includes the Global Farm and Research Center, Reference Library, Seed Bank, Tropical Fruit Nursery, Global Bookstore and Staff Offices. ECHO also operates Regional Impact Centers, strategically located around the world to bring much-needed agricultural resources within reach of the small-scale farmers that need them. Regional Impact Centers are located in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Arusha, Tanzania, with a Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso opening in early 2014. ECHO's presence provides not only improved networking opportunities but enables regional-based services such as: Hosting a biennial regional agricultural conference for development workers. Facilitating similar national agricultural meetings. Offering the quarterly regional e-supplement to the ECHO Development Notes, offered in English and regional languages such as Burmese, Thai and Khmer, Swahili and French. Regional Newsletters highlight the activities of ECHO in the region and offer a forum for partners to share their own activities, opportunities and events. Maintaining regional groups and forums on ECHOcommunity.org for the purpose of disseminating and exchanging relevant technical information. Operating a seed bank for the purpose of providing seeds of regionally appropriate crops for development workers. Offering periodic courses, workshops and tours related to topics of interest for agricultural development workers. Consulting with regional development agencies. With its regional office, ECHO is able to more effectively network with partners for the exchange of ideas, information, technology and other resources. Considering ECHO's growing global network, such interaction will benefit small-scale farmers worldwide.