Farmer organizations for high value organic crops production in Lima

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Farmer organizations for high value organic
crops production in Lima Nieves Gonzales and
Jose Tenorio, presented by Gordon Prain
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• Background
• Farmers Field Schools for capacity building and
  participatory RD
• Producer organizations and agro-enterprise
  through Schools for Urban Farmers
• Stimulating healthier, more sustainable urban
  agriculture with micro-credit

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Background

• Results part of project Farmers in the City,
  located on the eastern fringes of Lima, Peru.
• Funding from INIA Spain, City of Madrid,
  Community of Madrid, IDRC, 2004 - 2008
• Collaboration between UH, CIP, UNALM, IIN,
  PHA-CEPIS, local district governments, Lima
  metropolitan council
• Part of UH Research area on Livelihoods and
  Markets, and MTP Output 1 on Innovative
  technologies and practices developed for
  increasing productivity and marketing

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Farmer Field Schools
Sensitization and interest-raising methods
Adapted field school method
Producers trained in IPM
Outputs
Adaptation of FFS to other cities
Adaptation of technology
Producer capacity in IPM and organic production
developed
Outcomes
Reduced use of pesticides
Producers begin to self- organize
Expected impacts
Healthier families
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School for Urban Farmers
School for Urban Farmers
Capacity-building  in organic production,
organizational issues and agro-business
Producers trained in techniques offacilitation
Outputs
Organization legally constituted
Network of local facilitators in agricultural
issues
Strategic alliances with institutions
organizations comprised of municipal management
Outcomes
Profitable niche markets
Training for local producers and consumers
Trademarks, organic certification
Improved economic returns for families
Integration of agriculture within local
government
Expected impacts
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School for Urban Farmers
Organizational capacity
Agri-business
Participatory investigation
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Profitable niche markets
Markets
Natural Medicine Clinics
Specialist Intermediaries
Baskets
Fairs
Maximizing benefits from production
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School for Urban Farmers
Organizational capacity
Agri-business
Participatory investigation
Public land Agricultural fairs, small animal
marketing Capacity building Micro-credit
organization
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Producer-municipal collaboration for healthy
cities
Municipality of Sta. Maria Huachipa
Producer organization (APAOH)

• Promoting environmental care
• Promoting consumption of healthy food
• Training of teachers for school gardens
• Supporting municipal fairs and school gardens
• Engagement with participatory budget process

AGREEMENT

• Physical space
• Personnel
• Green fairs of healthy products
• School gardens program (APAFA DIRECCION)
• Facilitate producer engagement in participatory
  budget

Urban Harvest
Technical assistance
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Improved economic returns for families
Utility of organic and conventional production in
an area of 2500 m2 in 2008
Beet
Lettuce
Lechuga
Lettuce
Turnip
Turnip
profit/months - orgánic
profit/months - conventional
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Revolving Fund for the City Farmers
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Conclusions

• Consolidation of business organizations for
  access to organic markets.
• Technical skills integral to issues, social and
  business
• Network of local facilitators to improve human
  capital of the area
• Access to credit for implementing innovations,
  driven by local government
• Inclusion of Urban Agriculture in the planning of
  urban development.
• Existence an office specializing in UA within the
  institutional structure

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• Risk from changes in the policies of local
  governments
• Changes in regulation of land use
• Conflicting economic interests
• Loss of access to credit through poor management
  of the fund