This project aims to strengthen food security and stimulate the sustainable economic growth of small farmers (women and men) in the Chimborazo region by focusing on four intervention areas: (1) biodiversity and natural resources conservation through watershed management and the practice of agro-forestry; (2) food security and cooperative marketing by reinforcing organic agriculture; (3) development of environmental governance capacity building of three local farmers’ organisations; and (4) women’s capacity building to foster their participation in local development and decision-making process. The beneficiaries are 98% indigenous and 50% women.
Results at the end of the project (June 2014): 1) sustainable watershed resource management is effective in the 18 beneficiary parishes of Cebadas and Juan de Velasco, with government support; 2) Local populations apply watershed management methods in their farming activities, which reduces the negative impact of agriculture on the environment; 3) the majority of the participating 500 households have seen a 50% improvement in their annual agricultural yields (from 200 kg to 400 kg per gardens); 4) a rural food transformation plant was established in Tranca San Luis, which benefits 1,200 agro ecological growers and heads of households living in remote communities; 5) revenue generating activities were consolidated through access to new solidarity marketing networks for 130 households; 6) the local partner (MARCO Foundation) improved its coordination capacity through a geographical information system (GIS) that improves the identification of local resources and needs depending on living areas; 7) local institutions actively participate in consultations with environmental stakeholders who are part of the Chimborazo Environmental Network; 8) the participation of women in local decision making processes increased in all 18 communities: for example, members of the Cebadas growers corporation are for the most part women and this corporation is chaired by a women. These results give 500 households the means to manage sustainable natural resources as well as increase the sustainable production of safe and nutritious foods intended for their own nutrition and for the regional markets of Chimborazo.
