More than 100 family farmers from the San Luis Talpa municipality presented their experience with the sustainable and environmentally friendly production model promoted by FAO.

San Luis Talpa, february 2019 – Farming families from the municipality of San Luis Talpa, presented their experience of food production with the use of environmentally and health friendly practices, using techniques to reduce the use of pesticides, and under a sustainable production model.

The socialization took place within the field day organized by FAO and the municipality of San Luis Talpa, with the objective of contributing to the awareness of the benefits of a well-implemented system of protected agriculture and agroecology.

At least 150 people attended the field day from San Luis Talpa and nearby communities, who were able to learn about the practices tested by the 120 producers who participated in the four Farmer Field Schools (FFS) carried out for this initiative. The FFS were developed using a "learning-by-doing" approach, through which they learned about a mixed system model of open-air protected agriculture and agroecology. The practices tested in the FFS enabled an improvement in food safety and security of the participating families.

Five stands were set up in the open day, where participants learned the experiences of the producers in the development and application of alternative products such as bioferments, bioinsecticides or biofungicides, for the production of pesticide-free food.

Now the producers have started harvesting the plots and are organizing to market their products in local markets, as well as working on the creation of a brand, with the support of the FAO office and the municipality.

The initiative was very sensitive of gender considerations, promoting capacity building, leadership, access to technologies and income generation for female producers. Having a plot of food production allows women to achieve their economic autonomy, gives them the opportunity to provide their families with a diversified diet, as well as generating income that contributes to the health, education and improved quality of life of their families.

Betting on better use and management of pesticides in the municipality of San Luis Talpa

In 2018, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), through the General Directorate of Plant Health, and the National Centre for Agricultural and Forestry Technology "Enrique Álvarez Córdova" (CENTA), the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) and the Municipal Mayor's Office of San Luis Talpa, with the support of FAO, implemented the project "Contributing to a better use and management of pesticides in the municipality of San Luis Talpa, Department of La Paz”.

The main objective was strengthening producers' capacity with technical assistance related to integrating agro-ecological principles in their plots and production.

The project intervention area focused on San Marcos Jiboa, Cantón El Porvenir, Caserío Loma del Gallo and Caserío el Hervedor where 120 producers participated, 30% of them were women who were traditionally dedicated to the cultivation of corn and in some cases sesame, using conventional production systems that included the use of pesticides.

In addition, four small artisanal factories were built to produce bioinputs for the integrated management of crops for healthier and environmentally friendly crops. These facilities enabled producers to replicate the learning they developed through the FFS training.

This project is part of FAO's actions focused on developing a proper management of pests and pesticides in food systems in order to protect the health and the environment, ensuring food security and improving the livelihoods of rural families through the promotion of sustainable and efficient food systems.

See the full news in Spanish here

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