Carissa De Young, Partners Worldwide
Family Greenhouses for Community Agriculture Carissa De Young, Partners Worldwide Opportunity
The Problem
Solution
Need: Access to fresh, organic vegetables at
Core Solution: Individual greenhouses financed
affordable prices to improve nutrition
through low-interest loans, providing families with vegetables directly from the farm to their tables
Drivers: •Relatively high vegetable prices and limited supply through middlemen •Lack of refrigerators to store vegetables over time •Vegetables grown in open often rot before they ripen
Augmented Solution: The women will form a
Context:
Ecosystem: As additional communities join the
•Diet historically based on plantains, rice and cassava •Vitamins & supplements not culturally accepted on broad scale •Distance to markets and limited transportation •Warm, humid temperatures in fragile, rainforest environment
project, a network of local cooperatives will be established to work together to sell their products in larger markets or create a production center for valueadded
cooperative to sell their products in the community and in the provincial capital to increase their capital and repay their loans.
Sustainable Outcomes Social:
Enterprise Plan
Pacto Sumaco Small loans for greenhouse structures
The women involved in the pilot project will work together to form a cooperative to sell their products. Additional community members and other communities will be invited to join or learn from the women’s group as the project grows.
Environmental: Group of women with farming experience
Map of Ecuador, with Napo Province and Pacto Sumaco Community indicated; source: http://www.sumaco.org/quienes-somos.html
•Greenhouses will decrease the need to cut more trees to plant cash crops and increase yield of area planted under greenhouses •Recycling of used greenhouse plastic will be managed with assistance from the government sanitation department •Any wood used for greenhouse structure will be part of the Rainforest Alliance community forest management plan
Economic:
Individual Greenhouses on Family Land
Greenhouses will be financed with low interest, 3year loans
Fruits and vegetables for the community and for sale to increase family income and repay loans.
Acknowledgements Partners Worldwide, Kaya Foundation, Fundacion Yachana Experimental Greenhouse from Agrarian School in Pacto Sumaco Community
The Problem
Solution
Need: Access to fresh, organic vegetables at
Core Solution: Individual greenhouses financed
affordable prices to improve nutrition
through low-interest loans, providing families with vegetables directly from the farm to their tables
Drivers: •Relatively high vegetable prices and limited supply through middlemen •Lack of refrigerators to store vegetables over time •Vegetables grown in open often rot before they ripen
Augmented Solution: The women will form a
Context:
Ecosystem: As additional communities join the
•Diet historically based on plantains, rice and cassava •Vitamins & supplements not culturally accepted on broad scale •Distance to markets and limited transportation •Warm, humid temperatures in fragile, rainforest environment
project, a network of local cooperatives will be established to work together to sell their products in larger markets or create a production center for valueadded
cooperative to sell their products in the community and in the provincial capital to increase their capital and repay their loans.
Sustainable Outcomes Social:
Enterprise Plan
Pacto Sumaco Small loans for greenhouse structures
The women involved in the pilot project will work together to form a cooperative to sell their products. Additional community members and other communities will be invited to join or learn from the women’s group as the project grows.
Environmental: Group of women with farming experience
Map of Ecuador, with Napo Province and Pacto Sumaco Community indicated; source: http://www.sumaco.org/quienes-somos.html
•Greenhouses will decrease the need to cut more trees to plant cash crops and increase yield of area planted under greenhouses •Recycling of used greenhouse plastic will be managed with assistance from the government sanitation department •Any wood used for greenhouse structure will be part of the Rainforest Alliance community forest management plan
Economic:
Individual Greenhouses on Family Land
Greenhouses will be financed with low interest, 3year loans
Fruits and vegetables for the community and for sale to increase family income and repay loans.
Acknowledgements Partners Worldwide, Kaya Foundation, Fundacion Yachana Experimental Greenhouse from Agrarian School in Pacto Sumaco Community
