Project profile — Supporting Agro-Industrial Production and Exports

• Bolivia (100.00%)

• Agricultural inputs:
Agricultural inputs (31150) (5.00%)
Agricultural education/training (31181) (10.00%)
Agricultural research (31182) (5.00%)
Agricultural co-operatives (31194) (10.00%)
• Industry: Agro-industries (32161) (70.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (significant objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (significant objective)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to strengthen Bolivian entrepreneurial, technical and managerial capacity for the cultivation, processing and distribution of spices to large export markets. By involving marginalized and vulnerable rural families in the production process, the project is improving the incomes of over 2,200 households.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased income for vulnerable farm families, including increased access and control over household resources by women; (2) improved growth and organizational efficiency of the principal actors in the spice value chain; and (3) increased support by municipal and departmental governments for agro-industrial value chain development adapted to vulnerable rural communities.

Results achieved as of March 2017 include: (1) the project has enabled over 2,200 producers’ families to expand from subsistence agriculture to a more market-driven enterprise model within the formal economy; (2) 2,261 oregano and spice producing families from 259 rural communities in 24 municipalities (mostly indigenous Quechua communities) incorporated into the project with activities in the Bolivian departments of Chuquisaca, Tarija and Cochabamba; (3) average incomes of participating families have increased by almost 300% exceeding the goal to double incomes by the end of the project; and (4) annual sales generated through 805 tons of oregano production were US$2.33 million, exceeding the goal of $1.7 million. Effective planning has been essential to achieving project success. Project implementation was preceded by a period of research and development (through previous initiatives supported by Canada) to explore the potential to produce oregano in the region.

• Proactive disclosure