0 Enhancing the competitiveness of rural families and access to food in changing environments Luz Adriana Jiménez, Yuliana Pérez, Sandra Vargas, Simon Fonteyne, Salomón Pérez, José Guillen, Rodolfo Vilches. December 2024 Context and Key Challenges In Latin America and the Caribbean (ALC), agriculture holds a significant place, representing 7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022. Furthermore, 18% of the region’s population lives in rural areas. However, in recent years, agricultural performance has slowed compared to previous periods. Factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war between Russia and Ukraine have contributed to this deceleration. Additionally, a series of natural events—including storms and the La Niña phenomenon—have impacted productivity across most countries in the region. These challenges have also driven up food prices, exacerbating food insecurity; most countries in ALC now report food insecurity levels above 29.5% (Conroy et al., 2023). Given this context, the Resilient AgriLAC Initiative and its Work Package No. 1 have focused their efforts on co- designing and adapting socio-ecological innovations and nutrition-sensitive technologies. In collaboration with local, regional, and national stakeholders, this initiative seeks to address agricultural challenges by improving crop productivity without harming ecosystems. Additionally, it aims to enhance income for rural families, contributing to improved quality of life. - CGIAR Initiative on AgriLAC Resiliente Report Demo-plot of biofortified rice in Colombia 1 Honduras In Honduras, activities were carried out in the areas of the two Innovahubs: East and West. The Western hub is part of the Dry Corridor and borders the Oriente axis in Guatemala, while the Central Oriente primarily encompasses the El Paraíso reservoir. In each of these Innovahubs, a research platform was established based on diagnoses conducted during meetings with farmers and other local stakeholders. These platforms aim to generate information for the development of technological menus through applied research, focusing on practices and technologies that promote more sustainable, resilient, and productive agricultural systems. These systems are centered on maize and bean crops and are designed to ensure food security and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable rural populations. The Western region, where the Macuelizo, Santa Barbara research platform is located, is characterized by a subsistence farming system focused on maize and beans. Agricultural production in this region is highly vulnerable to climate change, as most crops are grown on hillsides in small plots that suffer from soil degradation (erosion and low fertility) due to poor management practices. This directly affects yields. Work in this region has been carried out in collaboration with the following organizations: MAPANCE (Mancomunidad de Municipios del Parque Nacional Montaña de Celaque), OCDIH (Organismo Cristiano de Desarrollo Integral), CASM (Comisión de Acción Social Menonita), and EAPO (Escuela Agricola Pompilio Ortega). Validation plot in Honduras In the Eastern region (mainly in the department of El Paraíso), the production of basic grains is crucial for food security and income generation for both valley and hillside farmers. Generally, yields are low due to poor agricultural practices that contribute to soil degradation (erosion and low fertility), high production costs, and the impacts of climate change. To facilitate participatory research, validation areas and the Danlí research platform in El Paraíso have been established in collaboration with the following partners: ARSAGRO (Asociación Regional de Servicios Agropecuarios de Oriente), CECRUCSO (Central de Cajas Rurales de Ahorro y Crédito Comunidades Solidarias de Oriente), and DICTA (Dirección de Ciencia y Tecnología Agropecuaria). Guatemala AgriLAC´s activities took place in the two main geographical areas of Guatemala, east (lowlands or dry corridor) and west (highlands). These two regions were chosen for their specific agroecological and socioeconomic characteristics. East is also known as Dry Corridor, it is characterized by low and dry lands, inhabited by subsistence and semisubsistence farmers, mainly “colonists” (not indigenous). On the other hand, west is characterized by highlands, inhabited mainly by subsistence farmers, most of them from local indigenous communities. Both regions show the worst poverty and nutritional indicators in Guatemala. The Innovahubs and research platforms were established in each one of those regions based on local communities' needs and interests, focusing our research on the most traditional crops in terms of production and consumption in both regions, mainly maize, beans and rice. These crops are the core of the food systems in Guatemala. In the west, we work with two partners, ASOCUCH (Asociación de Organizaciones de Los Cuchumatanes in Huehuetenango department and CDRO (Asociación de Cooperación para el Desarrollo Rural de Occidente) in Totonicapan and - CGIAR Initiative on AgriLAC Resiliente Report 2 Quetzaltenango departments. While in the east (Zacapa and Chuiquimula departments) we work with different farmers associations, such as ASORECH (Asociación Regional Campesina Ch´orti´) which encompasses multiple small organizations in the region. Other associations are: ADIPAZ (Asociación de Desarrollo Integral de la Parte Alta de Zacapa), ASEDECHI (Asociación de Servicios y Desarrollo Socioeconómico de Chiquimula) y ADEGO (Asociación de Desarrollo Comunitario Granero de Oriente). In both regions, efforts are focused on strengthening the value chain of beans and maize, the main crops in terms of production and consumption for small-scale farmers in Guatemala. Training is provided across different stages of the value chain, including seed production, good crop management practices, postharvest handling, food processing, and commercialization. In some cases, collaboration with international organizations such as the World Food Program (WFP) and Caritas has enabled a broader reach and a greater impact. Through WFP, female beneficiaries of the PRO-Resilience program in the dry corridor received training in food processing. As a result, many women discovered innovative ways to process and consume biofortified beans produced through PRO-Resilience. Some of these women participated in local markets promoted by WFP, preparing and selling dishes such as colorful tortillas or bean ceviche. The research activities of the National Institute for Agricultural Research (ICTA) were also strengthened through funding for specific activities, primarily focused on the improvement and validation of new biofortified varieties of beans, maize, and rice. Colombia The Initiative’s activities have been primarily focused on two departments in the north of the country, Bolívar and Cesar. In Bolívar, a local partner, the Fundación Canal del Dique COMPAS, has played a strategic role due to its strong influence with other local stakeholders, such as the UMATA of Cartagena, SENA Bolívar, and the communities settled along the Canal del Dique, including Leticia, Zapatero, and Puerto Badel—small rural villages of Cartagena. These communities have faced various challenges in recent years, such as the 2010 floods caused by the La Niña phenomenon, which resulted in the loss of their houses, crops, Agricultural fair of Arhuacos led by Agrosavia, Colombia Farmers´ training, Guatemala Woman selling new tortillas, Guatemala 3 and livestock. Therefore, this population has been severely affected by food insecurity and the economic impact on hundreds of Afro-descendant families. In Cesar, the focus has been on indigenous communities of the Serrania del Perija, including the Arhuacos and Kuankuamos, as studies conducted by Agrosavia indicate high levels of poverty, which has led to malnutrition problems within the population. These communities have an agricultural vocation and are known for cultivating monocrop plots with native and heirloom varieties of crops such as rice, beans, and maize, both for subsistence and for the sale of surplus harvests. This process is typically conducted through intermediaries without any form of value addition. Mexico In Mexico, the activities were mainly focused on the Innovahubs in the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas, in the south of the country. These states are characterized by diverse agroecological conditions, ranging from commercial farming in lowland regions to traditional farming in mountainous areas. Initially, AgriLAC also operated in the Pacifico Norte hubs, which encompasses the states of Sonora and Sinaloa in the North of Mexico. The research platforms in these hubs were established previously to AgriLAC Resiliente, which allowed to build on years of experience, the oldest of the research platforms was initiated in 2012 in Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán in Oaxaca. The research platforms conduct experiments on sustainable production of maize and associated crops, with treatments adapted to local conditions and based on diagnostics with the local communities. The partners who carry out these works are: Instituto Tecnológico de Comitán (ITC), Servicios Integrales de Asesoría Externa Profesional S. de R.L. (SIAEP), Desarrollo Humano y Servicios Profesionales EL Can´chix S C (Can´chix), Universidad Autónoma Chapingo - Centro Regional Universitario Sur - Centro de Aprendizaje Rural en Tecnologías Apropiadas (UACh-CATA), Agencia Mexicana para el Desarrollo Sustentable en Laderas, SC (AMDSL), Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP),Patronato para la Investigación y Experimentación Agrícola del Estado de Sonora, AC (PIEAES), Asociación de Agricultores del Río Fuerte Sur (AARFS) y Asociación de Agricultores del Río Sinaloa Poniente (AARSP).as well as the local farm advisors Rubén de la Piedra Constantino, Mateo Pérez Santiz, Jonatan Villa Alcantara, Samuel Randy Arancen Molina. Solution overview For over two years, the AgriLAC Resilient Initiative has been active in four Latin American countries—Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Colombia — supporting rural families through a range of innovations. These include technology-driven menus tailored to agronomy and strategies for navigating market dynamics. The technology-focused menus offer a set of actionable steps that farmers can apply to promote sustainable agronomic practices. In terms of innovations, this includes conventionally improved seeds, which are assessed within the specific contexts of rural families to evaluate their adaptability, yield, nutritional value, and environmental impact. Moreover, rural families have gained new knowledge to improve post- harvest practices, learning about quality and safety standards, national regulations for marketing food products, and how to repurpose second-grade harvests to add value and create differentiated products. Training in postharvest practices, Guatemala 4 Implementation Approach In 2022, Work Package 1 of the AgriLAC Resilient Initiative began with an initial engagement with the communities to identify their main needs in terms of crop productivity, resilience, post-harvest conditions, and competitiveness in the markets. This initial step was crucial for defining a holistic yet differentiated approach, tailored to the specific regions within the countries, and for establishing the roadmap to begin collaborative fieldwork. This work included a range of tools encompassing sustainable agriculture, food processing technologies, and market access strategies. As a result, this set of tools produced various outputs, such as agronomic technology menus, quality manuals, and protocols for food processing and market access. These were widely applied during field days, training sessions, and seminars, and were directly used by local partners to extend the benefits to other communities and stakeholders. Impact To assess how these innovations have impacted beneficiaries across the four countries by enhancing crop productivity despite natural events, improving harvest quality for better market performance, and ensuring high- quality food products for food security a specific methodology was developed. Use of Innovations For the output "Use of Innovations" the initial measure was the number of direct beneficiaries in the four countries. This number was then multiplied by the average household size in each country, based on data from national sources. These results were further multiplied by three, in line with the commitment made by direct beneficiaries to share seeds from their harvests with at least three neighbors. Direct beneficiaries per country Field day in Colombia Subsequently, the number of direct beneficiaries was multiplied by the average rural household size, based on official data for each country: • Guatemala: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) • Honduras: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) • Colombia: Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística de Colombia (DANE) • México: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) Country Total Colombia 945 Guatemala 2.349 Honduras 600 México 2.718 Total 6.605 5 Average size of rural household Year 2022 2023 Average Colombia 3.08 3.03 3.055 Guatemala 4.8 4.8 4.8 Honduras 4.1 4 4.05 México 3.4 3.3 3.35 Similarly, calculations were made for 'articulators' beneficiaries, which in this case correspond to a ratio of 1 to 3. The sum of these data provided the total number of beneficiaries reached per country, and, in turn, the total number of beneficiaries reached by Work Package No. 1 of the Resilient AgriLAC Initiative. Guatemala Honduras Colombia México Direct beneficiaries 2,349 600 945 2,711 Direct beneficiaries * average size of rural household 11,275 2,430 2,887 9,081 Articulators (direct * 3 neighbors) 7,047 1,800 2,835 -- Total direct beneficiaries per country 20,671 4,830 6,667 11,792 Grand total 43,960 Capacity Building With the aim of enabling rural families to improve their competitiveness and resilience, a capacity-building scheme was designed to introduce new methodologies and tools for crop development, enhancing the quality of their harvests and expanding their market opportunities. These training sessions had a practical focus, allowing participants to test what they learned and implement it on their farms. As a result of this activity, the following impact was achieved: Country Woman Man Colombia 271 394 Guatemala 160 268 Honduras 129 177 México 972 1,739 Total 1,532 2,578 Grand total 4,110 To strengthen the capacities of the local collaborators in the Innovahubs, AgriLAC coorganized the second symposium of the Latin American Network for Agronomic Research “Agricultura regenerativa: ¿occurrencia o ciencia?”. This symposium brought together participants from the four countries where AgriLAC operates with the objective to participate in trainings and to exchange experiences and results. On the first day, trainings were 6 organized on 1) Postharvest and processing of grains 2) Weed Management, 3) Integrated fertility management, 4) Agroecological pest management and 5) Experimental design and statistical analysis, on the second day of the event presentations and poster sessions allowed the participants to learn from each other's experiences. The work of the work package 1 was also made publicly available in several formats, including a scientific article about the agronomic management of the traditional cropping system of Mesoamerica (Fonteyne et al., 2023), three books with the results of the research platforms in Chiapas, Pacifico Sur and Pacifico Norte innovahubs, as well as technology menus, which allow users to access the information in a concise and accessible way. The research platforms network in 2024. The research platforms in AgriLAC Resiliente are marked with green triangles. Milestones • The goal for WP1 was to reach 30,000 beneficiaries; however, the actual number was higher, reaching 43,960 beneficiaries. • The proportion of women (based on data from direct beneficiaries) utilizing the innovations was higher than that of men, highlighting a growing interest among women in agriculture and their increased involvement in processes once reserved exclusively for men. Moreover, this M M 7 represents an opportunity to design future initiatives focused on the role of women, particularly in relation to food security and nutrition. • The use of these innovations has directly impacted approximately 506 hectares of crops, resulting in greater availability of harvests for both self-consumption and market access. In some cases, these are biofortified crops, which contribute to improved nutrition for the population specially for children. • The capacity-building process has delivered remarkable results, including the adoption of a new rice variety in Colombia. It has also facilitated the integration of research processes such as agronomic management, proper fertilization, efficient input use, and planting arrangements. These practices were promoted by partners such Acción Contra el Hambre, ARSAGRO, CECRUCSO, OCDIH, and MAPANCE, all of which work directly with basic grain producers in the eastern and western regions of Honduras. • Additionally, the development of a new food product, "Ceviche de Frijol," in Guatemala has been a notable success, with its replication in other countries. A significant achievement is that a collaborator's daughter won an award at a trade fair in Mexico using this recipe, having learned about its preparation during a symposium. • Furthermore, two farmers' associations have been established in Colombia under new commercial brands: AgroZapatero in Bolívar and Nunumuke Kia in Cesar, each with its own business plan. • Another noteworthy example is the research platform in Larráinzar, located in the highlands of Chiapas, where local farmers, after learning about agroforestry through the platform, secured support from the local government to implement agroforestry systems on their land. References • Inter-American Development Bank. (2023). Políticas agropecuarias en América Latina y el Caribe 2023. https://publications.iadb.org/es/publications/spanish/viewer/Politicas-agropecuarias-en-America-Latina-y- el-Caribe-2023.pdf • Colombia: DANE. (2022). Condiciones de vida y calidad de vida. https://www.dane.gov.co/files/investigaciones/condiciones_vida/calidad_vida/2022/comunicado_ECV_20 22.pdf • Fonteyne S , Castillo Caamal J B. , Lopez-Ridaura S , ... , Verhulst N., 2023, Review of agronomic research on the milpa, the traditional polyculture system of Mesoamerica, Frontiers in Agronomy, 5, DOI: 10.3389/fagro.2023.1115490 • Guatemala: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). (2023). Publicación de resultados de los Hogares. https://www.ine.gob.gt/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/resultadosENIGH-1.pdf • Honduras: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). (2022). LXXIV Encuesta Permanente de Hogares de Propósitos Múltiples (EPHPM) – Junio 2022. https://ine.gob.hn/v4/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Resumen- ejecutivo-Junio-2022.pdf • México INEGI. Resultados de la encuesta nacional de ingresos y gastos de los hogares (enigh) 2022. https://www.inegi.org.mx/contenidos/saladeprensa/boletines/2023/ENIGH/ENIGH2022.pdf • México INEGI. 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CGIAR science is dedicated to transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. Its research is carried out by 13 CGIAR Centers/Alliances in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector. www.cgiar.org We would like to thank all funders who support this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: www.cgiar.org/funders. To learn more about this Initiative, please visit this webpage. To learn more about this and other Initiatives in the CGIAR Research Portfolio, please visit www.cgiar.org/cgiar-portfolio © 2024 Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT. Some rights reserved. 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