Improving the living conditions of 100 sugarcane-producers families affected by the 2017 “Niño Costero” phenomenon in Ecuador.

  • Country: Ecuador.
  • Location: Bolívar and Cotopaxi Provinces.
  • Duration: January to December 2018.
  • Participants: 100 families dedicated to sugarcane cultivation and affiliated with the Organic Sweet Artisanal Consortium (CADO), a community organization dedicated to its marketing.
  • Area of specialization: Rural Market Development, Vocational and micro-entrepreneurship training, Microfinance Services.

Starting point

The Organic Sweet Artisanal Consortium is a company founded in 2003 with the goal of improving the living conditions of its members by promoting market access for local products.

In April 2017, the climate phenomenon known as “El Niño Costero” occurred in Ecuador, characterized by irregular warming of the sea, high humidity, and heavy rainfall. These weather conditions caused the CADO Association to enter a state of emergency. Its processing plant was severely affected by the effects of this phenomenon. This is where the majority of its production is processed, transforming sugarcane into panela and organic alcohol, destined for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries

Objective

Contribute to poverty reduction and the sustainable economic and social development of sugarcane-producing families in the provinces of Bolívar and Cotopaxi, affected by the “Niño Costero” phenomenon.

What is the project about

The project is developed in 3 lines of action:

  • Through a program to strengthen the technical productive capacities to generate surpluses and improve the food security of CADO’s partner peasant families.
  • Through socio-business strengthening, through support and workshops to strengthen CADO’s associative process. The CADO processing plant will also be rehabilitated for the collection, processing, and marketing of sugarcane products.
  • Furthermore, access to financial services and the beneficiary families’ capacity to invest in improving their production, processing, and marketing will be improved. This will be achieved through the design of a financing strategy for CADO member and supplier families, as well as the implementation of a credit strategy tailored to the needs of this group, with the Local Savings and Credit Cooperative.

Entities that support this project