The lBO Foundation has been providing training in agriculture for several years and has been working on the creation of a Botanical Didactic Center designed with the intention of being the place where the agricultural classrooms can be taught.
The main source of supply of horticultural products in the past was the mainland populations near the islands. The fact of having this source of supply and the cultural reasons of the local ethnic group, with its fishing and gathering customs, discouraged the population’s interest in agricultural activities.
With the escalation of the armed conflict, the main supply of horticultural products disappeared as a result of the lack of road safety and the abandonment of land for fear of possible attacks. This brought with it, on the one hand, the arrival of displaced people with agricultural knowledge and, on the other hand, generated the need to start cultivating in order to be able to supply themselves.
In this new context, the lbo Foundation decided to invest in the agricultural sector as one of the main pillars for the development of the District. In the 2020-21 campaign, a qualitative leap was made with the hiring of an agronomist specializing in organic agriculture and agribusiness, increased funding in the sector and technical improvements at the Botanical Didactic Center.
The Centro Didáctico Botánico was consolidated, not only as a place for practical training in agriculture, but also as an experimentation center where new agricultural techniques could be tested, being a place of reference for the island’s farmers.
In addition, these services are complemented with monitoring and advisory activities for all producers on the island. They are given technical support, training and financing through credits and/or material.
The lbo Foundation is also working on the recovery of activities such as chicken breeding and honey production. And together with the District Service of Economic Activities, in the possible creation of other market opportunities.
New agricultural businesses will be financed, producers will be trained and a cooperative will be created for the promotion and sale of horticultural products.
The new businesses will focus primarily on ensuring year-round access to garden produce and the application of techniques that help reduce water consumption, provide more nutrients to produce and optimize production.
This will not only generate new sources of income. but also an improvement in food safety and food for the entire district by increasing the supply of products. increase their quality and reduce their price. Therefore, they will be more accessible and more easily incorporated into the diet of the lbo population.
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