In San Andrés de Tupicocha, Department of Lima, 3700m, 20 facilitators are training as part of a project piloting state certification of FFS facilitators.  The pilot begun in August 2016 and will last seven months. While training, the facilitators have set up three FFS revolving around drip irrigation technology in aguaymanto production, pea production and guinea pigs/alfalfa production.

The institutions which participate in this project are: The Food and Agriculture Organization for the United Nations, AGRO RURAL (Rural Productive Development Program) through the Sierra Selva Alta Project, FONCODES (Cooperation Fund for Social Development) through the Haku Wiñay project.

Peruvian public institutions have identified approximately 5000 rural talents (farmers’ leaders) who are already offering technical assistance. Most of them work, or have worked with diverse public and private initiatives. During the pilot, in partnership with the Rural Productive Development Program (AGRO RURAL), and the Evaluation, Accreditation and Certification of Educational Quality (SINEACE), the state will evaluate and certify the competences of the FFS facilitators and grant them a certificate on behalf of the government.

These institutions will analyze the possibility to replicate this methodology as a model of technical assistance and rural extension, using and training rural talents as a way to offer rural extension in the country.

Contact: Alberto García