Founded in 1985 as Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, CNFA^® is a Washington, DC-based, non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth around the world by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise, and market linkages.

Since its inception, CNFA has actively promoted public-private sector partnerships as a way to jumpstart economic growth. We have specialized in engaging private sector investment in training, new technology, and marketing as a means to increase overall competitiveness, expand exports, and ultimately generate higher incomes all along the value-chain for farmers, processors, and distributors.

CNFA was at the forefront of development in the early 1990’s building free market systems in the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union under the Food Systems Restructuring Program. Part of our unique strategy for fostering global growth is built upon partnerships with US and international businesses thereby catalyzing entrepreneurship. From a base of activity in Russia, we have expanded our economic development work into other parts of the Former Soviet Union, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Africa, and the Near and Middle East in the areas of:

Agribusiness Market Assessments Input Distribution Systems Export Marketing Management Information Systems (MIS) Training Materials Development Women’s Agribusiness Support Post-Harvest Handling Improved Agriculture Production Methods Monitoring Environmental Impact

Grant Management Financial Skills Training Farm Store Development Banking and Finance Economic and Market Analysis Quality Grades and Standards Branding Strategies Business Planning Skills Market Information Systems Farmer to Farmer Programs

CNFA continues to pioneer techniques for partnering with the private sector to engage the world’s disadvantaged in new income generating activities, proving that when properly focused, economic development works.