A "Gwoupman" is a self-led solidarity group of 8 to 15 smallholder farmers. As of 2016, the "Gwoupman" groups have established 13 micro-enterprises to process their agricultural produce for sale to local consumers. Farmers mobilize and invest their own savings, complemented by PDL (Partenariat pour le Developpement locale) financing and training, to purchase equipment such as mills, and minimally process local crops such as cassava, peanut, sugarcane, rice, maize, and cashew nuts. Farmers have established a local label promoting their own agroecological products, and sell them across rural communities, in municipal markets, and to an emerging network of churches and schools in Haiti’s capital, Port-au Prince.Family farmers are incentivized to scale agroecological farming practices, as they create outlets to process and sell their own local produce. This allows them to keep more income, escape dependence on intermediaries, and prevent spoiling of their harvest due to lack of access to basic processing.
Organized smallholder farmers are owners of all steps, from production to processing to marketing. Food and nutrition security of farmers as well local consumers is enhanced.
Problem addressed: Lack of organizational structures within the smallholder farmers community.
Potential improvement: Development of local agri-food economies.
Partenariat pour le Developpement Local (PDL)(Haiti) & Groundswell International (USA)
Cantave Jean-Baptiste
Website: www.groundswellinternational.org
Email: [email protected]
Source: FAO - Agroecology Knowledge Hub
http://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/en/
http://www.fao.org/3/BU707EN/bu707en.pdf
https://www.groundswellinternational.org/