Sponsor small agro-ecological farmers in Colombia

PSF is still working with smallholder producers, and since the beginning of the year, we are implementing several activities with the communities to achieve our goals of equality and environmental justice.  

During May, we began the certification stage, evaluating the progress of the producers in implementing the improvement plan, introducing a reinforced accompaniment strategy for those who needed it, and initiating the preparation for the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certifications. 

Additionally, we carried out the first certification in the Luis Omar Bermudez farm at Cachipay, with the participation of the entire PSF technical team, a consumer from the Sembrando Confianza market, and a group of scholars from the Uniminuto University.

This first certification was meant as a pilot to adjust the methodology for the following certifications that will be carried out during June and July. Additionally, it showed us the importance of the participation of the market consumer in this process to strengthen the producer-consumer relationship  

Thanks for reading this report. 

Once again, we want to thank our GlobalGiving Community and all of our donors for their support and help.

Stay tuned for our next reports and actions on the field, and don’t hesitate to follow us through our social media. 

Proyectar Sin Fronteras Team

Dear GlobalGiving community,

After selecting the 25 producers with the greatest potential to be certified under the trust seal of the Participatory Guarantee System (a participatory labeling system), visits were made in which the project, the agroecological market of Sembrando Confianza and the SPG certification were  presented.

Subsequently, visits were made in which technical aspects such as the use of land and water, the environment, agricultural and livestock management, action capacity and existing marketing channels were evaluated.

After applying the evaluation in the field, the process of signing agreements began with farmers distributed in 14 municipalities of Cundinamarca and Boyacá.

The activities related to the support for the certification of the selected producers began in July with the creation of an improvement plan for each production unit. 

The first part consisted of visits to carry out an analysis of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), social mapping and the development of a problem tree that led to the issuance of a technical concept.

While the evaluation process progressed, the technical team began the construction of the improvement plans simultaneously. The improvement plan focused on improving the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to apply principles for on-farm production and postproduction processes, resulting in safe and healthy food agriculture products.

A conference was held in which producers from the PSF network and Sembrando Confianza market clients had the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and be inspired to continue walking towards a common goal: reducing the urban-rural gaps in the Bogotá region. The event entitled "¿cómo me vinculo con el campo desde la ciudad?", was held on September 15 and made visible the work of the farmers linked to the project.

We kindly invite our GlobalGiving friends to visit our social media, follow our work and continue to support our small scale farmers . 

Best regards, 

Links:

• Participatory Visits
• Mario, farmer in Arcabuco