The Local Champions Approach (LCA) is a horizontal approach of capacity building and technical assistance (TA) relevant to the needs, demands and characteristics of users. The approach generates incentives for users to adopt knowledge because it is based on the providers’ evidence of success, their potential partnerships with users and the construction of relationships of trust and closeness between providers and users. On the other hand, it also encourages the sustainability of the providers’ service because it has decreased costs and the potential to generate new initiatives between providers and other intermediaries of these services such as projects, local governments, among others. It also causes additional positive impacts such as the recovery, visibility and enhancement of local knowledge and the empowerment of women and young people who are LCs through their knowledge.
The providers of these services are the Local Champions (LCs) who are rural women and men with outstanding knowledge and experience in various areas of production, transformation, value added and market access. It can also refer to those with knowledge and experience in employment generation, technological solutions, climate change, renewable energies, rural finance, lobbying, among others. They are leaders in ideas and innovation in their communities.
