Piloting a Purchase for Progress Approach in Cuba

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased capacity of local bean producers, including women producers, in selected municipalities in Matanzas and Guantánamo provinces, to apply sustainable agricultural practices in the production of beans and bio-fortified beans; (2) increased access by vulnerable groups to nutritious foods (bio-fortified beans) through the regular government distribution system; and (3) increased equitable access to beans for boys and girls in primary schools and health institution recipients.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (August 2019) include: Overall, a strengthened sustainable production of beans and bio-fortified beans by producers of the municipalities of El Salvador and Niceto Pérez in Guantánamo province, and Union de Reyes in Matanzas province was noted, more specifically: (1) beneficiary cooperatives increased their production by 128%; improved yield per hectares by 37%; decreased production costs by 12%; and reduced post-harvest loss to 8% of total production; (2) 1,935 (of which 661 women) farmers and service and input providers were trained in subjects such as: seeds selection and multiplication; cooperative management and leadership; sustainable production of beans; marketing for service providers; responsible use of agricultural machinery; and best practices to face drought; (3) 2,335 farmers benefited from the distribution of: tractors and their appliances; irrigation systems; grain dryers; mobile repair workshops; sewing machines for grain bags and packaging; drying mats; a cool storage plant for seeds conservation; grain humidity gauges; and mechanical scales; (4) 96% of producers involved in the project are using modern agricultural techniques in their productive activities; (5) up to 80% of producers are increasingly using as much as 11 varieties of certified seeds that contribute to the achieved yields; and (6) an estimated increase of 1,663 tons in bean production since the start of the project in 2014 was noted, representing a $1.7 M CAD reduction in imports. Overall, the improvements in productivity and efficiency in bean production had a positive impact on the consumption of beans and bio-fortified beans by recipients of government-subsidized food programs, more specifically: (1) 55,460 women, men and children from the targeted municipalities benefited from access to beans and bio-fortified beans as part of the diet provided in 149 institutions that are part of the government-subsidized social protection programs(such as schools, day cares, maternity homes and health facilities); (2) six tons of bio-fortified beans were produced in the municipalities of Guantánamo province for the first time, and were distributed among school and health facilities representing 1% of the total quantity of beans supplied to these institutions; and (3) the proportion of domestic bean intake over other imported grains incorporated into the supply plans of schools and health institutions increased from 30% at the beginning of the project to 50% by the project’s end.