Boosting the agricultural production capabilities of Indian rural communities in the micro region of South Ahuachapán (El Salvador), in order to improve food safety and raise income for the local population

• Main Authors: J-M. Fouillade, F. Roudière, R. Rodriguez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institut Veolia Environnement 2011-11-01
• Series: Field Actions Science Reports
• Subjects: agriculture; economic development; environment; NGOs; nutrition; poverty
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/1116

As is the case with many Latin American countries, El Salvador, which is regularly affected by hurricanes and is in transition towards democracy following a period of violent civil war, suffers from major inequality in the distribution of its national wealth, with almost half the population living below the poverty line. It was in light of this that, in 2002, the Secours populaire français intervened in the North-West of the country in the coffee growing area of the southern part of the Ahuachapán department, an area classified as a priority development area by governmental authorities.  This was in the form of a project undertaken in partnership with the NGO FUNDESYRAM (Fundación para el desarrollo socioeconómico y la restauración ambiental - the Foundation for Social-Economic Development and Environmental Rehabilitation), and was co-funded by the European Union and developed over a period of nine years. Its aim was to improve food security and family economics of those in conditions of extreme poverty and it was undertaken using the principles of inter-family solidarity and respect for the environment. The involvement of the partner and the beneficiaries led to a strengthening of communal associations (the ADESCO (Asociación de desarrollo comunal - Community Improvement Associations) as well as to the creation of a production association (‘AGROCESA’ Asociación de productores agropecuarios centro sur Ahuachapán – Association of Agriculture and Livestock Production) in order to improve the organization, management and support of social and economic development projects. It was this that guaranteed the success of the program and enabled both the capacity building for self-management and the autonomous and unified development of those communities that benefited from the project. This project, that, among other things, contributed to the eradication of infantile malnutrition by ensuring food safety within the family and empowered women in the community, far exceeded its original objectives.