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Completed project

Quinoa, "The Mother of All Grains"

Bolivia
Women’s Economic Empowerment
Date

November 2013 to January 2017

Budget

USD $999,800

over three years, including: USD $496,494 from the Canadian government USD $402,904 from Minera San Cristóbal USD $100,401 from local partners

Impact for

14 communities

400 quinoa-producing families

Consortium partner

Minera San Cristóbal S.A. Autonomous Municipal Government of Colcha K San Cristóbal Advisory Committee Association of Agricultural Producers (APRACCUK)

From Subsistence Agriculture to Sustainable Exportation

Sustainable and equitable innovation

Cultivated for more than 5,000 years in Bolivia’s Altiplano plateau, this plant has traditionally been grown as a subsistence agriculture crop. The 70’s marked a rapid increase in the popularity of quinoa. Over 40 years, communities went from producing the plant for subsistence agriculture to exporting it commercially. Bolivia has since become the top country in the world for quinoa exportation, requiring producer communities to adapt to commercial exportation.

A project with vision!
Produce organic quinoa in the communities of Los Lípez

This CECI-led project supplies tools to communities involved in the industry to ensure sustainable growth and management of quinoa production. Ultimately, the project aims to build the capacities of involved communities to manage trade with care for the economic and social well-being of the communities. This new economic reality is met with tangible measures to establish partnerships between communities. The transition is also a springboard for promoting gender equality in the areas of industry production and within decision-making bodies.

Taking action to get results: Concrete objectives!

1 / 5

Project management:

  • Build the local producer association’s marketing capacities
  • Improve coordination between local farmers and administrators
  • Improve partnership ties and capacities between various entities involved in quinoa production in the 14 participating communities in Los Lípez (municipalities, businesses, elected officials, associations, community leaders, partners, etc.)

Technological support:

  • Supply new technologies for the production of quinoa and organic seeds


Equity:

  • Offer women producers training in entrepreneurial management and in leadership. Hold sessions to inform women and men about rights and citizenship


Technical support:

  • Build infrastructures to facilitate production. Install an organic seed station and a quinoa storage and washing centre


Strategic support:

  • Implement a commercialization strategy by offering quinoa producer association members training on equal opportunity for women and men


Telling results!

  • 1,122 farmers and producers have received training in the production of organic quinoa;
  • 51 producers have been certified as organic producers and 243 have obtained the status of transitory organic quinoa producers;
  • Building of a bioinputs plant, expected to be finished in late September;
  • 15 bioinputs community stores have been opened;
  • Some machinery (light trator and threshing) has been acquired to facilitate the process of planting and cultivation of quinoa.

Results that count

50%

Increase in productivity among quinoa producers


85%

Increase in income for producers

59 to 400

Increase in membership for the organization of quinoa producers (APRACCUK)


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