Bio-factory: from the soil microbiome to promote food security (Suriname)

To enhance the resilience of Suriname’s Indigenous and Tribal pineapple farming communities by integrating Nature-Based Solutions, Climate Smart Agriculture, and agroecological practices into a bio-factory concept that locally produces bio-inputs to support climate adaptation, mitigation, and inclusive rural development.

• Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ITP) in Suriname
• Pineapple farmers and smallholders
• Women and youth in rural agricultural communities
• Government extension officers and agri-tech support staff

• Construct five local bio-factories in Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ITP) communities for the production of organic bio-inputs
• Train 300 ITP farmers, with an emphasis on women and youth, in bio-input production techniques
• Facilitate an educational field trip for government extension officers, HUB staff, and experts to study best practices from an operational bio-factory elsewhere
• Develop printed and digital educational materials, including an illustrated farmer’s manual on bio-input production and use
• Organize knowledge transfer workshops for extension officers and HUB personnel
• Promote inclusive leadership, especially by empowering women and youth in bio-factory management and community outreach
• Implement community-led participatory feedback mechanisms to continuously adapt and improve the program

• Established five functioning bio-factories, reducing dependence on synthetic agrochemicals and improving local production systems
• Local production of bio-fertilizers, bio-repellents, and beneficial microorganisms, contributing to improved crop productivity and enhanced soil health
• Capacity-building for 300 farmers, improving technical skills in agroecological practices and fostering community-based innovation
• Boosted climate resilience and adaptive capacity in farming systems by promoting Nature-Based Solutions
• Women and youth leadership contributed to stronger community cohesion and long-term sustainability of the project

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The State of Food and Agriculture 2023: Leveraging Agricultural Biodiversity for Sustainable Food Systems. Rome: FAO, 2023. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3e73e569-c6da-4067-ad0b-5b378a05ecd0/content

Inter-American Development Bank. "How Climate Science Is Guiding Suriname’s Policy Planning." Accessed December 4, 2024. https://blogs.iadb.org/sostenibilidad/en/how-climate-science-is-guiding-surinames-policy-planning/

International Union for Conservation of Nature. "Nature-based Solutions and Climate." Accessed December 4, 2024. https://iucn.org/our-work/topic/nature-based-solutions-climate

Open Universiteit. "Fighting Climate Crises with Models, Wetlands, and Participation: Can It Work?" Accessed December 4, 2024. https://www.ou.nl/en/-/fighting-climate-crises-with-models-wetlands-and-participation-can-it-work-

United Nations Development Programme. Nature-based Solutions Finance for NDCs. New York: UNDP, 2022. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2022-11/Nature-based%20Solutions%20Finance%20for%20NDCs-2022.pdf

United Nations Suriname. "Transforming Suriname’s Pineapple Industry." Accessed December 4, 2024. https://suriname.un.org/en/260857-transforming-suriname%E2%80%99s-pineapple-industry