An Overview Of Our Solution
INTEGRATED FARMS A SUSTAINABLE, ECO-EFFICIENT AGRO PRODUCTIVE SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY, GENERATION OF EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME, THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF ECO-TECHNOLOGIES AND ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE MEASURES AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE.
In response to environmental degradation, lower income and yield production and inadequate nutrition in rural areas, a participatory work was carried out with Savings and credit rural banks (CRAC) from three municipalities to establish an integrated farm with market access. The approached of it was the agricultural diversification with a transversal axis of gender and the management of shared resources. Eco-technologies such as greenhouses, drip irrigation, bio-digesters, eco-furnaces, eco-stoves, solar dryers, organic fertilizers and sustainable hillside farming practices were adopted.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: North America
General Information
Organization type
Nonprofit
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Population impacted
>5200 personas.
Challenge
Size of agricultural area
33 ha
Production quantity
N/A
People employed
1040 personas de instituciones y familias de finca.
Solution
Describe your solution
The integrated farm is a proven eco-efficient alternative to produce, generate income and facilitate the conservation and restoration of agro-ecological biodiversity. By adding a component of knowledge management, participatory work, and technological innovation, a holistic solution to the degradative culture is obtained. The project was developed jointly with food security, government agencies, private and families linked to CRAC, to organize processes for gender inclusion and sharing experiences. Integrated farm models were adapted to the capacities and interests of each family to create productive circles with an environmental focus and to use animal and plant waste in agricultural work.
On Arita Espinoza family’s farm, eco-stoves and eco-ovens were implemented to reduce forest degradation. In knowledge management, the human farm was approached by strengthening capacities in natural resource management, new technologies in the face of climate change and market access. In terms of income generation, protected agriculture and irrigation systems were provided to beneficiary families. Likewise, the production of pigs generated waste that was used in the production of biogas for kitchens and maintain stable temperatures in pig’s houses. The leachates obtained from the biodigester were mixed with mountain microorganisms and vegetative material from the crops to produce organic fertilizer used in crops of fruit trees and home gardens.
Implementation
Describe your implementation
In order to improve food security, income generation and strengthen the active participation of families, we promote the implementation of production models in harmony with the environment called integrated farms.
To initiate the establishment of 29 integrated farms, a training plan is developed to promote the system. CRACs identify families that meet the selection criteria (own one block of land, water). It performs a recognition tour by the plot and it is observing the family nucleus with a disposition towards the work.
Subsequently, activities are planned according to the availability of resources, agro-ecological conditions, family needs, and cultural aspects, among others. A sketch is drawn up with future vision scaling, including agricultural diversification, market access, eco-technologies, sustainable management of resources (water and soil) with an emphasis on environmental protection, role sharing in farm work with a Gender approach. According to the conditions of the land and the availability of resources, it is developing a budget and it is managed the participation of other actors, according to family needs.
External connections
Organizations such as OXFAM INTERNACIONAL, ODECO, Food Security Tables, local governments and Savings and Credit Rural Banks (CRAC).
The development organizations mentioned above support in management and technical assistance, the CRAC selecting and supporting with financial aids to the producers, the municipalities providing monetary counterparts and food security tables supporting and influencing the implementation of food security policies. In the productive process of integrated farms, it is important to diversify production, such as fish farming, floriculture, associative crops, coffee, timber, fruit trees, energy, connection to markets, farmer fairs and apiculture according to plots conditions and families.
Results
What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?
The challenges to face are land ecosystem degradation, climate change vulnerability, irresponsible production and consumption. The relief in the municipalities of Corquín, San Pedro Copán and Belén is irregular with slopes of up to 30%. This makes them susceptible to erosion. In recent years, monoculture and livestock production has displaced conifer and broadleaf forests in valleys and mountains.
Poor agricultural practices such as uncontrolled deforestation, agricultural burning, and excessive use of pesticides cause loss of biodiversity, soil degradation and loss of arable land. This combined with climate change affects yields production, therefore income generation, and food security. In addition, the inefficient management of shared natural resources and the way in which toxic wastes and pollutants are eliminated affect the work of the population of the municipalities. The integrated farm address this issue.
Describe the context in which you are operating
In Honduras, more than 50% of the population is located in rural areas. The intervention work was developed in three municipalities in the west of the country. The municipalities of Corquín, San Pedro Copan and Belén have a human development index (HDI) of 0.642, 0.646, 0.577, an illiteracy rate of 20%, 17%, 27% and a poverty rate of 50%, 45%, and 73%, respectively.
The economy of rural families is mostly subsistence, based on agriculture. Most producers persist with inadequate agricultural practices. San Pedro de Copán and Corquín focus their production on coffee and Belén Gualcho Ocotepeque to the growth of vegetables and basic grains. Access to resources; Land, water and financing is limited. This productive trend has generated food insecurity. The estimated basic basket consists of 24 products. Due to the low diversity of food and socioeconomic factors, the prevalence of malnutrition is 20 to 26%. Local governments supported by ODECO / OXFAM have designed and implemented public food security policies. These processes are the product of the participation of different sectors, promoting conditions of empowerment and monitoring of actions, becoming a model of municipal budget planning, making good use of livelihoods in an inclusive manner of sustainable development.
How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?
Sustainable agricultural practices; rational use of water, eco-stoves, biodigesters; production of fruit and multiple-use tree, crops in an association, incorporation of stubble and waste in the organic fertilizers elaboration are the actions aimed at reducing the pressure on the natural resources.
The consequences were the improvement of the physical capacities of the soil, increase of the life under the ground, diversity of plants, microorganisms, insects, birds in the plots of the integrated farms. Reduction of wood use in homes, pesticides, fertilizers, water and land to produce food. A decrease of contaminants such as excreta and generation of clean energy. Above all, the generation of a culture of respect and proper management of shared natural resources is one of the results that had a positive impact on the local environment.
Language(s)
Spanish
Water
Diversification of plant varieties and soil cover in plots promotes the collection and reservation of water in the soil. In parallel, irrigation systems and maintenance of sanitary conditions in facilities of minor species reusing greywater ensures the efficiency of water used.
Food Security/Nutrition
The diversity of plants and minor species have a direct positive effect on the feeding of families with whole farms. People increased the products in their diet by 120%, of 25 products identified now the consumption is 55. Knowledge management provided opportunities to know and promote good nutrition in follow-up with public food security policies.
Economic/Sustainable Development
The implementation of integrated farms have elements linked to the objectives of sustainable development: No hunger, Gender equity, Clean energy, Economic growth, Responsible production and consumption, Life on land, Sustainable communities, Partnerships for the goals, Climate action, Innovation and infrastructure.
Climate
The integrated farm contributes using technology and knowledge to the mitigation of the effects of the climatic change with productive systems of adaptation and resilience.
Sustainability
Implementation depends on external cooperation funds and efforts, NGOs, municipalities, CRAC, labor and family resources. However, the economic sustainability of the integrated farms depends on the constant work of the beneficiaries, access to funds in CRAC, access to local, regional and national markets, farmer fairs to commercialize production in order to increase income that contributes to farm and family sustainability.
Return on investment
In order to develop integrated farms, EU-Oxfam co-financing support was required for EUR 190,864.00 plus the monetary contribution of families and other actors in the area who facilitated access to resources. The cost effectiveness is expressed through positive effects on the environment, building a resilient model that reduces poverty, finding food variety, employment, avoiding migration and developing capabilities of connection to markets, microfinance and are the benchmark of teaching learning to the neighboring producers of the community. It is a sustainable system for people and the environment.
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Replication and Scale
How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?
Replicas have been made from producer to producer through an exchange of experiences, educational tours, workshops, field schools, which has led to the adoption of technologies and a greater use of resources available in the community. Funds obtained through international and national cooperation are used to purchase vegetative material, seeds, training and materials for the implementation of productive infrastructure. The farm is first planted in the mind and then put into practice (human farm).