Project profile — CRECER: Sustainable Economic Growth for Women and Youth in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

• Guatemala (100.00%)

• Basic Education: Basic life skills for youth and adults (11230) (20.00%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Women's rights organisations and movements, and government institutions (15170) (5.00%)
• Energy Generation, Renewable Resources: Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies (23210) (5.00%)
• Agricultural policy and administrative management:
Agricultural policy and administrative management (31110) (10.00%)
Agricultural development (31120) (25.00%)
Agricultural extension (31166) (20.00%)
Agricultural co-operatives (31194) (15.00%)

• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Disaster Risk Reduction(DRR) (significant objective)
• Trade development (significant objective)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Climate change mitigation (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (significant objective)
• Gender equality (significant objective)

The project aims to increase the economic empowerment of Q’eqchi’ women and youth in Alta Verapaz in Guatemala. It proposes a multi-dimensional approach challenging traditional gender roles within the family unit, overcoming socio-cultural barriers to women’s participation within the Federation of Cooperatives of the Verapaces (FEDECOVERA) and its member cooperatives, and advocating for gender equality at local, regional and national levels. The project seeks to improve agricultural entrepreneurship in the sectors of organic cardamom and turmeric, and to position the the products in niche markets with organic and fair trade certifications. It also contributes to strengthening clean and sustainable practices of 19 cooperatives affiliated with FEDECOVERA by improving their inclusive governance and their ability to support their members in adopting green practices. Project main activities include: (1) planting cardamom and turmeric following organic and agroforestry production, (2) training women and youth under Field School and Skills for Coop programs, (3) implementing energy-efficient technologies, and (4) holding forums and working sessions on best practices for the economic empowerment of Indigenous women and youth.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2023): 1) 3,161 people (including 990 women and 1,057 young women) participated in the production of cardamom and turmeric value chains, with 414.03 hectares of organic cardamom production and 97.7 hectares of turmeric production; 2) increased the number of women and young women in decision-making positions, with 104 women, 64 young women and 52 young men in decision-making bodies; 3) cardamon and turmeric producers participatedin trade fairs to present their products (Biofach 2022 and Biofach 2023) from their factory producing solid and liquid biofertilizers for crop nutrition; and 4) applied 2,500 litres of Biol and 250 quintals of compost , a useful advance when the price of fertilizers rosedramatically in Latin America in 2022, notably following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Results achieved at the end of the project [March 2025] include: (1) 3969 smallholder farmers (1211 women, 1332 young women and 1169 young men) integrated the high-value cardamom (363 hectares) and turmeric (98 hectares) supply chains, and included commercial value forest species such as mahogany and cedar in their agroforestry systems. This allowed them to access to meaningful employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in their communities. (2) Inclusion of 98,572 trees of various valuable hardwood species such as mahogany and cedar in the smallholder farmers agroforestry systems have generated new income for participating cooperatives. The planting of these species has not only diversified sources of income, but also projects a significant value of approximately CAD 94 million for cooperatives after 30 years, assuming that 50% of the trees planted (49,286) will reach final harvest. (3) 2923 beneficiaries increased their knowledge via training focused on the agro-ecology of the plots, the importance of women's participation, positive masculinities, knowledge exchange of cardamom and turmeric crops, environmental issues and organizational development; (4) 5741 (3113 women) new members joined the participating cooperatives (37% increase).; Cooperatives achieved a 99.18% proportion for “good” or “excellent”, in the self-reporting of the women’s knowledge on the products and services of their cooperative; (5) 21 participating cooperatives completed SOCODEVI’s PerformCoop program, and moved towards more equitable representation of women and young people in decision-making spaces. They also now have the capacity to integrate climate change resilience considerations in their management tools.

• Proactive disclosure