| OAS/CICAD
has implemented an Alternative Development project that has
possibilities of preventing the expansion of illicit crops in the
province of Sucumbios.
The
project tries to make possible the improvement and development of
alternative farming which will allow food production for
auto-consumption and commercialization of the surplus and generate
better income for the population. The quality of life will also
improve for the farming families of Sansahuari and Puerto El
Carmen, which represents a viable alternative option to illicit
crops.
The
activities of the project will help the improvement of production
systems, whose goal is to increase and diversify the productivity
in order to elevate the profitability of small and medium farmers
the project is helping. The project also wants to develop systems
and appropriate mechanisms for harvesting, after the harvest,
agro-industrialization and commercialization of farming products
in order to obtain added-value to production and increase marginal
utilities. In the end, the project wants to promote improvement of
nourishment of the farming families in the influenced zone of the
project through access and consumption of healthy products which
allows the improvement of nutrition and health indexes.
The project is estimated to
finish in October 2003. CICAD, together with UDENOR, will
make an evaluation of the economic and social impact of the
activities and according to these results, a decision will be made
to the expansion of the project to the second phase.
  
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