FINCA DOS AGUAS

EL JUNQUITO, Venezuela

An Overview Of Our Solution

Finca Dos Aguas started from scratch and is now a reference in the conservation of nature in its area of influence, A reference in the top quality of its products (packed vegetables). A reference as one of the longest terrace system in the country. A reference as been constant suppleir of vegetables to the Caracas high end market. A reference in the benefits of its workers. All this in a country that is getting out of control in so many aspects.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Corporação

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Grasslands

Population impacted

approx 600

Size of agricultural area

15 ha out of a total of 45 ha

Production quantity

aprox 30,000 kg per month (variety of vegetables, washed and ready to eat salads, herbs) )

People employed

180

Describe your solution

We soon started with perennials such as asparagus on the steep slopes and then went on to build terraces. At first with wood scrap from a woodmill, and later made them on location with light concrete panels, to prevent erosion and improve soils. We soon started to compost chicken manure for use in our fields. A good part of the packing plant residues are now used in the composting process. We do all we can to incorporate crop residues in the soils, returning the nutrients where they belong. Steadily bought all the land we could with our revenues. Up to the 45 ha nowadays. To increase production and protect our water streams, woodland and keep away chaotic house building.

Describe your implementation

Implementation requires LIVING ON THE FARM, we as the founding couple sacrificed our being together to 1) I take care of production 2) to attend the business downtown with more communication available.. We have formed many team leaders, making them conscious that environment is vital and not just a luxury item. Emphasized that our greatest capital is experienced people, healthy soils, and fresh unpolluted water. Key success factor: to be constant, to have a environmental education beforehand, and being able to transmit that to our people and to strengthen local people awareness on the need of water and forest conservation. As an example, our associated producers under the figure of collaborative economy, use steel rods instead of wood stalks to fix irrigation sprinklers. Obstacles? Sure, bad habits die hard. Short term gains are still a strong drive behind many local farmers. But since we are the local economy engine, we insist on them to adopt more conservative habits as well as good agricultural practices.

External connections

We have no special connections. Only some sympathetic people who help in getting limited products and "help" get some of the numerous permits we need to operate. We do not have any important friend in the Govt We have mainly connection with our external and internal providers of parts, seeds and machinery. We do not belong to any association.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Our valley was economically and socially a backward area, with a dirt road, no electricity, no telephone. Families with up to 10 children. Wood used for cooking. Frequent fires. The challenge was to establish a profitable private operation while maintaining the beauty of forest and wild life, fight, protect and improve local Flora and Fauna. Poor water supply. Demographic pressure due to vicinity with the capital, Caracas. Particularly complex topography and the temptation of locals to destroy forests where they grew coffee to switch to short term crops, forced us to develop new alternatives to use high slope lands: terraces, like in the Inca period...

Describe the context in which you are operating

We are operating for 31 years in a country that every years plunges more into chaos. Economic, social, ethical values chaos.
We were nearly expropriated in 2009 due to our more than average size for our region. The employees and neighbours helped to repeal that attempt. Both Government and opposition people supported us.
Currency has devalued from 0,50 new bolivars per one US$ in 1998 to 3,500 nowadays. x 7,000!!! Hard to understand for anyone not living here.
Since there are 2 official rates of 10 and 700 mainly given to government food imports, operating our business has been very uphill.
There is no airborne firefighting in our area, only one truck in the nearby village.
Authorities have been so tolerant with land invasion that we are happy to have purchased and defended our land and its vecinities
Insecurity is rampant.
Spare parts, vehicles, tractors, and agriculture supplies are scarce and many are black-marketed. We have to buy many supplies from abroad. Nothing is easy.
But we have survived all this, making our farm and its surroundings an oasis of decent prosperity, social balance, well conserved forests, and still available water.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

According to most villagers, the valley is well preserved, specially within our boundaries. When we compare to other valleys in the region, there is balance bertween wild areas and cultivated ones. Although birds are very numerous, I think that cats, dogs and humans have caused disappearance of many mammals. Biodiversity has increased in the vegetation since there is no more wood scavenging for cooking and fires have been prevented. There is a lesser population pressure tahn before but we still see several houses being built. The soils in the terraces are much better than if they had been let alone to drift downwards.

Language(s)

Spanish

Water

Our houses within the borders have all a sewage system. We have a much better water use than all the region. We have a whole network of tanks and pumps and timers to save water.

Food Security/Nutrition

Judjing by the aspect of our people, many of whom are facebooked, they have some permits to go get subsidized food products even in working hours

Economic/Sustainable Development

We have empowered our people so they can manage the farm for future generations

Climate

Water availability is sustained. There is a lot of shady areas in the Valley, keeping it fresher than other nearby valleys

Sustainability

We are slightly reducing our volume of production since the middle class has shrinked. Keep catch up game with the the black market value.

Return on investment

We have reinvested for years. Nowadays, we have a 25 tp 30% net profit

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

Educating for birth control is BASIC. otherwise no pace is sustainable. Period. Rest: I would encourage the building of terraces. Also firefighting squads. Better do intensive agriculture than an extensive one. Better encourage bigger farms that the State can control better, This is unpopular but is the best way to preserve Nature.

Overview