Review 2007
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Elo works as part of Projeto
Dom Helder Camara (PDHC), a local government-based enterprise,
which supports agriculture, social development and local infrastructure.
Such links are vital to enable successes to be shared and for
the community to grow.
Cashew still accounts for 20 per cent of crops harvested in
Nordeste Brazil. Elo is helping
participants to diversify and explore new agricultural opportunities.
Elo translates literally as ‘link’ which is exactly
what the project aims to do: link farmers
together to share knowledge and exchange
information with the hope of increasing
marketability of their crops.
Cashew is a traditional crop for Nordeste Brazil, but traditional
processing methods are labour intensive, wasteful and reliant
on third party traders. Elo is
providing farmers with the knowledge and equipment to |
harvest, process and market their cashews. Greater control enables
farmers to become a more respected partner, affording them an
independence which has bred a culture of pride and a sense of
ownership among the farming community.
Many farmers are also finding success with bee keeping and are
now producing good harvests of both honey and wax. In some areas,
local authorities are buying honey from the farmers and distributing
it among schools as a dietary supplement for children. And honey
production, in its turn, helps preserve biodiversity.
Elo is also supporting fish farming
initiatives. Even in the semi-arid areas, there is potential
for fisheries. Thanks to Project Elo
many farmers are having commercial success. Previously, they
caught only enough to feed their families, the farmers with
new skills and knowledge are now able to supply fish to local
markets on a regular basis. Increased investment in cool storage
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transportation
will improve the opportunity for fisheries still further.
One of the next steps for some partners is gaining organic certification
of their crop and thereby entering higher value market niches.
A pilot project introducing the use of mobile phones has increased
business opportunities for Ugandan farmers.
SFSA initiated
the Farmers Information
Communication (FICOM) project in 2005 with the aim of improving
communication among farmers and their markets. It has surpassed
expectations: farmers are generating income, using business
skills and starting new enterprises. The programme is now selfsustaining
and as of June 2007, being run by the Kayunga District Farmers
Association. |
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