Producing to Grow - PANACAM

PANACAM National Park and the Lenca Indians

In 1992, World Accord’s partner in Honduras, Proyecto Aldea Global (PAG), was appointed by the national government as the official administrate of the Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar (PANACAM National Park). Often referred to as “the cloud forest”, the PANACAM Park is both a conservation area encompassing all of Cerro Azul Meambar Mountain, and also a site of production activities such as agriculture and forestry. These latter activities are limited to the buffer zone surrounding the protected core of the park, and it is in this zone where over 60 communities (approximately 20,000 people) reside.

Most of these communities, like those of the Lenca Indians, rely on small scale, slash-and-burn agriculture, with limited access to credit or markets, and they continually struggle for food security. Consequently, health systems have been failing, more than 63% live in poverty, and domestic violence has been on the rise.

Improved Traditional Farming

PAG has begun implementing its internationally recognized Improved Traditional Farming (FTM) development strategy in the region, which strives to:

improve farming skills and efficiency by increasing production to a steady level, while training targeted families in marketing and income generation
maintain an eco-balance with the surroundings

Complementary components to the FTM strategy include:

A Community Health Program which will provide 100% coverage within the buffer zone
A school system of 55 new buildings administered by the community in conjunction with a women empowerment program
Newly repaired roads to connect the communities

The FTM program in the PANACAM will centre on the successes of World Accord’s orchestrated Economic Reactivation Program, or the “Birds and Bees”, in a new initiative targeting the Lenca Indians called Producing to Grow.

Producing to Grow in the PANACAM

Building on Past Successes

The Producing to Grow project is an expansion on the successes of the “Birds and Bees” economic reactivation and food security project, initiated by World Accord in partnership with PAG in 2006. Following a similar mandate, Producing to Grow strives to improve food security among 120 Lenca Indian families (approximately 720 people) living inside the buffer zone of the PANACAM.

Producing to Grow Action Strategy

Beginning in April, 2008, this two-year project will tackle food security on three levels:

Introducing small animal farming (fish, pig, and chicken) to 120 Lenca families according to their needs, capacity, and available resources, which will improve food security by providing alternative income generation opportunities. Training will include: appropriate animal rearing techniques, preparation of suitable animal facilities and accommodations, and growing and harvesting animal feed to reduce production costs.
Improving diet and nutrition for community members through regionally conducted nutrition education programs, including preparation techniques of the new meat and protein sources acquired through the small animal farming projects.
Enhancing the marketing skills of participating families through lessons on investment planning, administration, food presentation and added value, and by coordinating local and regional fairs to seek out markets for the new farming products.

Additional Benefits

In addition to the direct benefits to the 120 participating families in the Producing to Grow project, another expected 300 families will benefit from lower prices for livestock products through the newly established networks and markets, from the open forum community training, and from the availability of vaccines and vitamins for sale for animal plague prevention.

Chain Pass System

The chain pass system is a method used to pass on skills, knowledge, and assets to new participants, while teaching the original project participants how to facilitate and organize training sessions. It requires that recipients of PAG livestock each pass on a pair of small animal offspring to a new recipient family. They must also ensure the proper training of the new recipients on facility construction, animal rearing, and growing feed. Upon the multiplication of livestock of the new recipient family, the chain pass system will repeat itself. In this manner, these skills will continue to be passed on until the benefits of the Producing to Grow project have been maximized in the area.