With a new leader comes a new and expanded vision for CTI.  Rod Brown, the new Executive Director/CEO, is inspired to lead CTI to help developing countries "Share resources and knowledge to fight hunger and poverty through sustainable community economic development." This will be achieved by a new three-phased initiative called CTI 2.0.  CTI 2.0 is focused on (1) connecting developing countries to domestic and global markets, (2) ongoing research and development and (3) post harvest business development. CTI 2.0 will align the creative talents of the clients (in-country citizens), volunteers, and staff who will be focused on aggregating/synthesizing the developing world's post harvest problems, solving the problem(s) and deploying the solution with other Non Government Organizations (NGOs), partners and CTI's Development Center.

Through this model CTI hopes to convert human value via post harvest solutions that will alleviate hunger and poverty for 500,000 people in the developing world of Asia, America's and Africa by the end of 2011.  This is a very ambitious goal, we realize.  In order to achieve this number CTI will increase its impact by helping people move from the informal economy, where the economies of most communities in developing countries currently operate, into the more formal economy, by connecting them to larger, domestic markets, which includes countries and regions.  Eventually, CTI would like to help these communities to move into the global economy.

More simply, this model is about creating community enterprises that will generate income by utilizing CTI's post harvest solutions. It's about working with them and teaching each other how to create and take advantage of the whole post harvest value chain from harvest to recyle for sustainable community economic development. Once the businesses are set up and the knowledge transfer and business maturity is developed, CTI will convert the equity to the all of the employees and many local citizens. This could take as long as 3-10 years before CTI transfers the equity. We are committed to their success.

A sense of urgency is apparent now more than ever. In 50 years, the world's population has been projected to double, to 12.5 billion people. There are not enough jobs, food, and other resources that can address the need with the resource model currently being employed by most NGOs in their attempt to make a difference.  It is important that everyone and every country get out of poverty and we need to apply the best and brightest minds to develop tomorrow's resource solutions to address these needs.

CTI has an opportunity right now to begin this journey of piloting and refining a model that truly empowers the people in the developing countries. It will take time, but we believe we can impact hundreds of thousands lives within the next 36 months. Join us as we help others who help themselves, who then help others.  In this way we can help ensure the world's survival and eradicate poverty and hunger.

by Rodney A. Brown, Executive Director/CEO

As some of you know, I recently took a four country tour in Africa to gather feedback on our expanded vision for Compatible Technology International which we are calling CTI 2.0.  This was accomplished through meetings with current and potential partners and users of our products and services.  I also hoped to uncover new opportunities.

The countries I visited were Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. Little did I realize that the Poverty Reduction Model slogan (initially used to describe CTI 2.0) would seem so pale and inappropriate to the people we are seeking to help. In Ghana I attended, along with CTI volunteers, Dick Fulmer and Ed Galle, various functions where we conducted demonstrations of the Omega grinders to over 455 people.  We met with independent farmers and Village leaders, including the students and leadership of Food Research Institute of Ghana.

By my third day I realized through the Ghanaians' enthusiasm and entrepreneurship that what they want, and more importantly what they need is to create wealth, particularly, generational wealth. After several speeches that I gave on our new model (CTI 2.0), many people came up to me passionately confirming that this model is what is needed.  One participant shared, "That's what we need and have been praying for. We are always thinking about the next generation and how we can make life better for them."

In Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda I found the same intensity and interest in this model. The Rwandan Investment Export Promotion Agency was so thrilled with this type of approach for their citizens, that the President of Rwanda sent the Minister of Agriculture to the Twin Cities a few weeks ago to tour our facility to learn more about our capabilities. As a result, she wants Rwanda to be a pilot country for Food Processing, Food Preservation and Solar Oven technology (see article below).

In closing, we have several opportunities to follow-up on, candidates to interview, product enhancements to make, and partnerships to develop, such as JBT, AT Uganda, Uganda Financial Trust, Kick Start in Kenya and many more.

On Saturday April 26, Compatible Technology had the honor of hosting Dr. Agnes Abera Kalibata, the State Minister for Agriculture in Rwanda. Dr. Kalibata, who holds a PhD in agriculture from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, toured our facility in order to determine how our technologies could be applied profitably in Rwanda. While here, she was treated to demonstrations of our potato processing, grain and nut grinding, millet threshing, slicing and shredding devices, solar drying and water chlorination technologies. The Minister was very impressed with our people and our sustainable apparatuses.

During our subsequent discussions, the Minister expressed her enthusiasm for our food preservation and processing technologies. Since she has defined agricultural and environmental improvement goals for Rwanda she concentrated on these distinct areas. Rwanda currently is in the enviable position of producing more food products than it can consume. Therefore there is a profitable value chain that is available for Rwandans to commercially preserve food, by drying fruits, and/or converting these excesses into a processed product such as flour for distribution to less fortunate areas.

Many thanks to the Minister for visiting us and to our many volunteers who presented CTI in such a favorable light!