40 Women Improving Income through a Sweet Business

ACDI continues to support and strengthen women's entrepreneurial groups in the province of Tucumán. In their production process, they have incorporated dulce de leche, a sweet made from milk that is very traditional in Argentina and forms the basis of many desserts consumed in the country. It is used in a similar way to peanut butter in other countries, to sweeten breakfasts and snacks. Dulce de leche is a highly desired product in Argentina, and the women entrepreneurs have created a product that reaches perfection.

Currently, the women produce at one of their members' homes, and they have been able to reactivate group production more frequently, which has boosted their confidence and self-esteem for empowerment.

In addition, ACDI has decided to promote a workshop to train women in selling their products, aiming to rekindle their enthusiasm for their businesses. The workshop covered topics related to identity, marketing, and sales. ACDI's community promoters are working on obtaining the necessary permits for the groups to offer their products at various local fairs.

Furthermore, we continue to provide training opportunities, including a baking products workshop with an experienced instructor, offering recipes and practical tips to make the most of available resources. As a result, they have learned to produce specific products that are in high demand among the population of Tucumán, which will guarantee sales and, consequently, an improvement in the group's economic income through diversification.

Currently, the women receive advance orders and produce collectively to meet these pre-sales orders. Their enthusiasm and effort grow day by day!

Women entrepreneurs who specialize in sweet and baked goods are already recognized in their rural areas for the quality of their products. Having experienced growth and recognition within their communities, they decided to try and improve their sales reach by participating in a fair in a nearby town. After obtaining the necessary permits, they tried their luck at the La Cocha fair, located 20km from their rural area.

During their first experiences at this fair, they faced several obstacles, especially in logistics and expenses due to the distance between the two locations, which was a real challenge for them. Thanks to the network they had built, they were able to get help from a family in La Cocha who provided them with space to store their sales tools, products, and supplies.

To increase their sales, they had to reorganize their production activities. They now produce on Mondays and Wednesdays for sales in their local area, and on Fridays, they prepare for the La Cocha fair the next day (Saturday). They transport their products in boxes and move around on motorcycles, as it is the only means of transportation they have.

The group members state that this experience was enriching as they tried a new sales method, becoming mobile vendors and roaming around the fair to offer their products. This new experience of becoming street vendors was successful, as they managed to sell all their products. Additionally, they were able to apply the marketing and sales knowledge gained from ACDI training!

Having achieved success at the fair, they decided to locate another extra sales space in a more remote area, in the Juan Bautista Alberdi. They participated in an entrepreneur fair, exhibiting their sweet and baked goods. This space not only meant an opportunity to boost sales, also allowed them to meet other entrepreneurs and exchange different strategies and experiences. This participation is still a significant challenge for them as distance is still a hindrance. Therefore, they continue to sell in their local area and at the La Cocha fair.

The women emphasize that the training they received from ACDI was instrumental in deciding to start their business. Moreover, thanks to the support of the professionals, they managed to create their brand name, which empowered them!

The work of these women is noteworthy as they continue to grow and expand their opportunities.

Thanks to everyone who made this work possible!

In ACDI we work together with various allies to support the family scale entrepreneurs in Tucumán, Argentina. The goal is to promote sustainable business ecosystems that benefit all parties and take good care of the environment as well. 

"From the ground to the Table" is a program that involves the commercialization of products from small and family scale farming producers, entrepreneurs and artisans in 25 locations all around Tucumán Province through a pre-sales system and a logistics chain based on the territorial work of allied organizations. This initiative was launched by grassroot organization TUCMA and institutionally supported by the National Institute of Family Agriculture, Indigenous Peasant (SAFCI), Tucumán delegation.

With ACDI’s incorporation to this project, this initiative was strengthened by adding two more towns- La Madrid and Monteagudo- to the commercialization chain, incorporating with them, new buyers of new sellers with new products. 

First experience was quite a success. Fruts and vegetable boxes at a fair price and good quality (direct from small producer’s soils around the Province) were offered in the first month of the project on these towns: territorial promoters members of ACDI’s team played a fundamental role in implementing the pre-sales system by making contact with their neighbors and coordinating the final sale. 

The Commercialization chain allowed also that “Women Entrepreneurs of La Madrid” expand their market to 25 new spots in the province. This in the first time that they can make a bulk sale of their homemade sweets and marmalades outside their own town. 

From this experience, Delina -territorial promoter of ACDI in Monteagudo- commented: "The project started the best way possible in our town, buyers were satisfied by it, not only for the affordable price but for the quality of the products. The economic situation is very difficult here, so this type of initiatives are received enthusiastically".  Pamela -territorial promoter in La Madrid- added: "It is public knowledge that in La Madrid nobody controls prices, so having included new products in the local market has generated that many of the greengrocers lower a little the prices (to a fair value) of some vegetables and fruits. Also as Women entrepreneurs of La Madrid use vegetables and fruit to make their products, this opportunity did not only improved their sales but also implied less costs of production”. 

Join this network and help populations from the north of Argentina to develop stronger local communities based on solidarity and joint effort! 

In the province of Corrientes this 2022 was held the first national meeting of the “Network of Slow Food Organizations Argentina”.

 This movement, as its name implies, is an emerging global paradigm countercultural to the speed that this modern world proposes. This movement claims respect for the natural processes of livestock agricultural production and to revalue healthy eating forms; the return to natural products production and consumption and especially, respect for mother earth. 

 In Tucuman, the productive group "Women entrepreneurs of La Madrid", accompanied by ACDI since 2017, joined the Slow Food network as their agri-food preserves become renowned as these are products made through a process that does not incorporate ingredients or aggregates that alter human health: handmade products based on fruits, sugar and lemon.

 With ACDI’s support these group was able to travel to the Province of Corrientes (more than 800 KM from their province) and be enriched by the experience of the National Meeting, where they could not only exhibit and sell handmade sweets and jams, but also learn about the path made by other groups that served as inspiration. Pamela, one of its members shares us: "We were exchanging experiences and getting to know each other with 15 other communities, which was the impetus to move forward with our group, since we realized that we are not the only ones on this train, that the difficulties that are presented to us every day can be the engine to grow more. At the meeting we met cooks, cooperatives, and great people who left us a great learning: that we are not alone, that if we do not dare, change does not happen and that good, clean and fair food production, consumption and commercialization is the future to build together".

 ACDI adheres to the principles of this movement and seeks to continue supporting women entrepreneurs to enhance their artisanal productions, favoring personal and collective enrichment activities in pursuit of the sovereignty and food security of its members. We also highlight the multiplier effect of this type of experience in the communities to which women belong. Being part of a network makes us feel accompanied and enriches us all.

Donate Now and help more rural women to accomplish their dreams and develop more strategies to succeed in their entrepreneurship through more experiences like this one!  

Winter arrived in Tucumán Province and, with it, the enthusiasm to continue making bakery products within the framework of the Women Entrepreneurs project.

The group of women, called “Manos Artesanas” (Artisan hands), are motivated and work harmoniously as a team. Each member’s role is clear and defined, they feel comfortable being part of it and, most of all, they know that their work pays off. Nowadays they have a meeting space where they share pleasant moments; they have become friends who produce together and at the same time, they can have an extra income to improve their family situations.

The group made important decisions in relation to entrepreneurship in the first half of 2022. For example, through the support received by ACDI, they had the advice of a professional expert in Marketing and were able to constitute their Brand and Identity, with a logo designed by themselves and materialized by a Graphic Designer. Today they feel that this logo totally represents them and their products, they feel proud of having an image that reinforces their work and effort.

The name of the group “Manos Artesanas” was chosen by the women to highlight the value of the handmade process of production of their bakery goods. Their products do not contain additives or preservatives, so their name represents the essence of what they consider to be more valuable: producing quality bakery products with their own hands without preservatives, reinforcing the production carried out “at home”.

Among other learnings during this year, this entrepreneurship assumed the importance of strategic choosing  of products according to the time of year. In the Financial Education Training provided by ACDI, they learned about the importance of analyzing the season and producing according to it and the needs and desires of their customers. Also, they started to buy inputs in bulk allowing them to acquire them at lower prices and, therefore, increase their incomes. Thus, they offer specific bakeries depending on the time of year, specializing in them, and at the same time, paying attention to the demands of their customers.

On the other hand, the group "Manos Artesanas" decided to expand the scope in the sale of its products. Having achieved great success in their own town, they currently produce to sell at fairs in neighboring towns and their eagerness to keep building this enterprise does not rest even though this small step implies overcoming great challenges: the distances to the other towns (some located more than 20 km); the bad state of some roads; the lack of public transport mobility among other difficulties, supposes a great effort in planning the logistics of this decision.

Despite the difficulties and with the support of ACDI’s territorial promoter from their rural area, they manage to organize themselves in such a way that they set up their own stand at these fairs. 

The women recognize that participating in these sales spaces is not only an opportunity to improve their economic income, but also to position themselves in the region as a group of enterprising women, who, with their artisan hands, produce quality baked products, and  do it with much love and dedication.