Project Name
Ecological Orchard (Huerta Agroecológica) for Food Sovereignty, Dignity, and the Lives of Peace Signatories in Baraya, Huila – El Vaticano Farm
Presentation
The association Asoagrec is part of the federation Unión Campesina por la Paz (Peasant Union for Peace), which consists of 84 families, 58 of whom are participating in the reintegration process. These are individuals who signed the 2016 Peace Agreement between the Colombian State and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC-EP.
In recent months, under the government of President Gustavo Petro, they have benefited from reforms to rural infrastructure. They were granted the El Vaticano farm, which comprises 1,300 hectares of land, about 900 of which are suitable for agricultural and livestock production.
The farm is located in the municipality of Baraya, Huila, about an hour and a half from the city of Neiva. The plan is to implement food production crops, as well as goat and cattle farming, pig farming, fish farming, honey production, and forest conservation for ecotourism purposes.
Despite the advantages of the farm, there is a shortage of water for food production. While there are underground water sources and some water springs around the farm, it is necessary to install an irrigation system to enable the required agro-food and community processes.
For this reason, this project was developed to promote community work and food production through a community agroecological/self-sustaining garden (Huerta Comunitaria Agroalimentaria) that supports the sovereignty of the families involved in this process.
Project Objective
General Objective:
To develop strategies for food security based on the collective and cooperative work of the members of the El Vaticano farm through the establishment of an ecological farm in the community of Araña.
Specific Objectives:
To implement an alternative irrigation system that enables the collection and distribution of water within the agroecological garden of the El Vaticano farm.
To promote community and cooperative work activities centered around the agroecological farm on the grounds of El Vaticano, together with the families of the peace signatories.
Total amount requested for project funding: 3000 Euro
Justification
Food security stems from food production that not only guarantees access to food but also fosters the creation of community-based and collective practices. These practices help develop skills and competencies among local populations and families, enabling forms of well-being and alternative development.
For this reason, it is proposed to implement an agroecological garden (huerta agroecológica) on the El Vaticano farm, where learning processes related to food production can begin. The initiative will also experiment with crop varieties that provide short-term profitability for families by producing vegetables for self-consumption and for local circulation.
Although the land was already part of the Comprehensive Rural Reform granted to the peace signatories, it requires significant investment to adapt and install an irrigation system that ensures water availability for agricultural projects.
Therefore, it is proposed that the Raschke Foundation support the implementation of this initiative, which would promote community and agricultural development on a small scale, including water management and the supply of water from the natural source to the garden area. At present, the site lacks the necessary infrastructure to provide adequate irrigation for crop cultivation.
