Promotion of Agro-ecological Farm Products

In Ecuador a great proportion of food production comes from small farm units and the most complicated problem to confront the farmers is the commercialization of their products. In the majority of cases, the end consumer receives the products through a chain of various intermediaries. The power of negotiation that the farmers have facing the intermediaries is weak, and as such they are paid low prices for their products. It is also apparent that if the producers do not gather value for their products they will not be able to leave their condition of poverty.

La Fundación Brethren y Unida is involved with communities to promote producer organization for the commercialization of their primary products and to help with small business initiatives for the processing of products. But not only that, we advance agroecological production to obtain healthy and quality products whilst conserving the natural resources.

This agroecological proposal looks at the use of clean and accessible technologies, that allow the use of local resources to diminish the dependence of external outlay and that conserve the natural resources, soil, water and biodiversity. It is a proposal that is founded on principles of equity and redistribution with a view to strengthen local markets.

We aim for a proposal that defends the existence of farming economies.

Our experience in Intag

The ecological diversity in Intag allows the cultivation of a great variety of products. However Intag is distant from the markets where its production is sold and within this extensive zone, the communities are dispersed making transportation difficult: As such products from the farms cannot always be sold. The local intermediaries take advantage of this situation to pay the farmers low prices, whilst they obtain a significant profit when they sell the goods in the markets of Cotacahi, Otavalo, Ibarra y Quito.

In Intag the FBU drives a program to establish agroecological farms, and to support initiatives of associative commercialization for the local producers and the functioning of a small business dedicated to the processing of sugar cane for the production of granulated panela.

Jointly with the Asociación de Campesinos Agroecológicos de Intag, ACAI, we progress an initiative of commercialization of agricultural products in the market of Cotocachi. Farmers from twelve communities participate, organized into three nuclei according to their geographical location. Each nucleus has the responsibility to deliver a quota of products in a rotational manner (every three weeks), that are sold in the market that ACAI has arranged in Cotocachi on Sundays.

The clients buying the produce in the market are advised that the products they are going to consume are healthy, without agro-chemicals and that they are produced on agroecological farms. The products sold are: blackberries, naranjilla, tree tomatoes, lemons, oranges, avocados, yucca, camote, white carrots and granulated panela amongst others.

This commercialization brings advantages equally to the producer who receives better prices for his products as well as the consumer who pays economical prices. By producing agroecologically, we contribute to the conservation of natural resources and to the promotion of healthy food to the consumer.

Granulated panela production

With the functioning of a small business situated in El Cristal, in which there are around 12 associate farmers we have given added value to a product, sugar cane, that is cultivated organically and additionally has been used for live fences in the conservation of soils.

For its nutritional properties, panela is a product far superior to processed sugar. Little by little its consumer consumption is increasing at various urban levels. Granulated panela produced by the Association El Cristal, is sold under the brand name DULCEPANELA, that for its flavour is being demanded both locally and in other regional markets.

Other initiatives of commercialization of agroecological products exist in the country, directly on account of farming groups. In some cases, they carry out weekly markets under agreements with councils and in others they have formed commercialized farming businesses. With our knowledge we aim to unite forces with various other experiences with the ultimate goal of these initiatives reproducing themselves in other places.

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