This current July 2016 is a year since the beginning of the project “Organized farmers strengthen the social, economic and productive fabric, and their living conditions in the micro watershed Guineamayo (Cajamarca – Peru)” funded by Obra Social La Caixa. FPSC works in this Andean region along with its local partner ESCAES in order to improve living conditions in six communities. It is an impoverished area where the shortage agricultural diversity and the lack of economical opportunities do not allow the population to develop all their capacities, living therefore in a marginal situation characterized by malnutrition.
Within the Socioeconomic Development project of the Obra Social La Caixa, the project works for the incorporation of training and organizational strategies of farmers including technical improvements in crop management, improving the economic management of the production process and promoting access to market; all of this, through an environmental sustainability and gender approach.
During this year, a number of training courses have been developed regarding the growing of avocado, the cultivation of beans and the breeding of guinea pigs, improving local market opportunities. This project provides theoretical and practical training courses. Therefore, the Workshops taught, under a “learning by doing” methodology, allow the participating farmers to put in practice their acquired skills related to cultivation and breeding, in their daily life. They work in profitable productive initiatives that enable families to shift from a familiar production to a commercial and organized production. Thus this year the number of the cultivated hectares has increased compared with previous year, boosting notoriously the production (up to 20% in beans and 30% in guinea pigs). This surplus enables to improve the economical incomes through its commercialization.
In addition, this project contributes to environmental care regaining lands using agricultural good practices, without chemical pesticides and replanting and creating terraces to prevent soil erosion. The population is excited with this project participating with their labor force in the creation of components such as the irrigation system.
Concurrently, certain fairs have taken place in order to promote Agricultural products and exchange training on successful experiences, where farmers have the chance to meet first-hand integral experiences in the Agricultural sector; from the production of plantations, the work in nursery, its transfer to the field, irrigation, pest controls etc.., to the harvesting process and production treatment.
During this year, two gastronomic festivals have also taken place to promote beans, avocado and guinea pigs, one on the 8th December 2015 and the other on the 14th April 2016. Elaborated dishes with these ingredients were presented in order to highlight the diversity of nutritional recipes that tackle malnutrition in the area and to promote these products for its consumption and sale as well as to generate good practices in terms of hygiene and safe food handling.