Consolidation of community food security strategies in Tixán

Summary of Activities

The MICUNI-PRODETERRA project, the second phase of the MICUNI food security project, started up in October 2005. AVSF and its partner, the Ecuadorian NGO CESA, provide technical and methodological help to the indigenous organi­zations and authorities of the Tixán communities in order to boost the economic life of these high-altitude territories and improve living conditions for the resident families. The land which they reclaimed at the time of the agrarian reform is exposed to high climatic risks (drought, wind, frosts) and has limited irrigation water.

The project operates in four ways:

• Optimising water resources (irrigation and safe drinking water) :rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, construction of family reservoirs; introduction of sprinkler irrigation; strengthening irrigation associations; finalizing the building of drinking water systems.
• Supporting the rearing of animals :developing breeding systems by improving existing irrigated grazing land; introducing new types of fodder; developing vegetable gardens; training veterinary assistants.
• Professional training : construction training course leading to a qualification for about 40 people (rural farming families) from the sector.
• Supporting new economic activities :supporting the creation of micro enterprises providing local services (bakers, IT training centre, telephone service, restaurant etc.).

The project also aims to strengthen the Cocán Indigenous People's Second Level Organization (management ability, increased involvement in the local development discussion platforms); providing the local district President with local development training; enhancing local cultural events.

Location

The high altitude zone of the Tixan parish (between 3,400m and 4,100m in altitude), Alausi Canton, Chimborazo province.

Beneficiaries

• direct :38 agricultural Indian communities grouped at the heart of 2 lower level organisations (the Cocan and the Inca Atahualpa) ; 1,700 families dependent on agriculture, livestock and seasonal migration (Quito, Riobamba, Guayaquil).
• indirect :Inhabitants of the basin region of the Chanchan River.

Partners

• financial : European Commission , French Ministry of Foreign Affairs ; Alausí City Council
• technical and institutional : project PRODETERRA executed jointly by a consortium comprising AVSF, CESA (Central Ecuatoriana de Servicios Agricolas) and Ecuadorian NGO, and involves a number of other partners :

1. The agricultural communities of the Cocan (12) and of Inca Atahualpa (3),
2. The municipality of Alausi,
3. Chimborazo provincial council,
4. local NGOs such as FEPP and CEDIS,
5. Credit cooperatives.