In partnership with ASDENIC and a cluster of cooperatives, food security funding agencies, farmer associations, cooperatives, and universities we co-organized the one day results sharing symposium on June 27, 2023. The objective was to reflect on the advances, challenges and future steps related to the practice of agroecology as a strategy to face the challenges of food security, climate change, diversification and resilience. Our team gave the keynote presentation sharing findings from the current study and relevant work from the last decade including the longitudinal study of smallholders. We also advanced an important discussion about the increasingly likely El Niño event and preparation for probable drought and food security impacts in the region.
The participants in the workshops included 50+ representatives from producer unions, UNAG, PRODECOOP, Nuevo Waslala and organizations that have been working for decades in sustainable agriculture, agroecology, and food security issues, such as the movement for organic agriculture in Nicaragua (MAONIC), the group for the promotion of agroecology (GPAE), and a ADDAC and FUNICA, from cooperation and universities. In addition to presentations, small group and full room dialogue, there was also a seed and materials / publications exchange.
Conversation and demonstration activities were very productive: participants shared resources and stated their commitments to continue with the promotion of agroecology-based diversification in alliances and with a greater inclusion of youth and a deeper engagement with gender and female farmers and rural leaders as well as continuing efforts to decolonize food systems and eliminate the stigma of consuming the diverse and nutrient dense wild foods that some have labeled “food for the poor.” Additional takeaways included: (1) increased interaction among the small yet persistent and dedicated group of farmer associations and civil society groups as well as municipal authorities working in the food security and sustainable agriculture space, (2) increased awareness and coordination to plan an integrated disaster risk reduction and agroecology informed response to the anticipated impacts of El Niño, and (3) commitments to continue developing collective strategies to address soil fertility and acidity issues through expanded testing, continued growth in the production of more sophisticated organic compost, and the development of integrated agroecology-based systems for managing nutrients and soil fertility.
Full 30-page report in Spanish summarizing event will be posted shortly
Posted 7/25/23