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Area: |
Alternative
Development |
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Project
Name: |
Modernization
of the Organic Cacao Industry in Alto Beni Bolivia |
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Start
date /Duration: |
3
years ( May 16, 2002 -- May 15, 2005) |
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Location: |
Alto
Beni (Provinces of : Santa Ana, Sapecho, Palos Blancos, Chamaleo,
San Luis, Brecha T, Villa Prado, Sasaría, 3 de Mayo, San Juan Suapí,
Inicua, El Sillar, Cascada, Quiquibey, San Miguel, Tucupí,
Convendo, San Antonio y Porvenir).
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Beneficiaries: |
1,270
people directly and 7,000 people indirectly |
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Participating
Institutions: |
Tropical
Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE)
and the Vice-Ministry of Alternative Development of Bolivia (VIMDESALT) |
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Budget: |
US$1,600,000 |
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Donors: |
Bureau
for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) |
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Project
Description: |
 Through
this initiative, we are trying to diversify and increase the production
and yield of organic cacao plantations, increase and motivate the
organizations of producers to acquire the certification of organic cacao
and other products that grow on their property, in order to elevate
their standard of living and to discourage the illegal production
of coca crops.The project takes
place for three years, in which it will try to duplicate the volume of
certified
organic cacao in Alto Beni.
It will
also organize 500 producers associated with CEIBO and 620
organic producers not associated with CEIBO in the Economic Farmers
Organization.
The project proposes to introduce
cloned material of high performance that is resistant to the diseases of
production and supported by the participation of Bolivia in the
International Trial Clones (ICT). By doing this, they can increase the
volume of certified and commercialized organic cacao in Alto Beni.
Through the theses of Bolivian
university students in the majors of agronomy, forestry, rural
development, etc. the project obtains strategic information for its
management. Line data bases are also quantified in order to evaluate
possible threats or impacts. Therefore, valuable information for the
project is obtained simultaneously and is contributed to the formation
of Bolivian professionals.
 The
delivery of grafted plants to the producers has already begun, as well
as, the establishment of grafted plantations in the farms. The
agro-forest schemes have been defined in which new plantations have been
grafted in commercial farms and demonstrative plots. Species of fruit
with elevated potential economic and nutritional value have been
identified and a strategy has been defined to reduce the 9 to 6 months
required to produce a grafted plant list in order to go to the field.
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Objectives: |
- To increase the yield of cacao
plantations from 300 kilos to 600 kilos in a 3 year period.
- To increase the production from
1,200 tons of cacao to 2,400 tons annually
- Productive diversification of the
cacao farms
- To have a value-added product by its
organic characteristic with an assured market.
- An increase of certified and
commercialized organic cacao production by 60%
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