The goal of this event was to provide information about the project on which TRIAS and the VBT been working for a couple of years together with organic producers from these two organisations. The project's mission is to provide support to producers and their organisations, supplying them with the necessary resources for their development and helping generate a sustainable source of income for these farming families.
Edith Marlene, Freire Morales, acted as representative of the Association of Ecuadorian Agroecological Producers and Associative Trade of Tungurahua, PACAT. This organisation represents 350 producers and its main objective is to promote the production and marketing of fruit, vegetables and grains. For its part, the National Association of Ecological Producers of Peru, ANPE, was represented by Felimón Mechato Ipanaque. This association brings together more than 15,600 Peruvian agroecological producers and counts with the brand Frutos de la Tierra, which guarantees the organic origin of the products they sell. Both organisations promote the products of small growers.
Koen Symons, of TRIAS, together with Donnie Horrevrost, Isidro Ibarra and Edith Ibarra, of PACAT
The projectThe seminar served to stress the need for these organisations to receive advice in business management, marketing and access to technologies, in order to stand on firm ground and be able to grow. "If you want to go quickly, walk alone, but if you want to get far, you'll have work together. This motto gave rise to our cooperative, which aims to protect our biodiversity and our customs and to improve our production. But we need help in managing our land and need assistance to ensure our products are marketed efficiently," stated Felimó Mechado, of the ANPE.
Laurien Danckaerts, of VBT, and Felimón Mechato Ipanaque, of ANPE
The representative of VBT, Guy Callebaut, confirmed that they would provide support in business management, marketing and access to technologies, helping to implement the concept of agricultural cooperative organisations, with a focus on logistical issues and quality control. "If we consider that, for example, Frutos de la Tierra, the trademark of ANPE, has a fully manual and autonomous quality control system, but with a very similar system to that enforced by international certification bodies, it becomes clear that this organisation really knows what it is doing and has long-term plans," confirmed Callebaut.
Lastly, it was stressed that one of the objectives of this project is to continue implementing ecological training schools to improve farming technologies and land management. Edith Freire, of PACAT, said that "young people from farming families need an incentive to get involved in the production process and the research that is needed. Because, ultimately, they are the ones who will lead the family businesses of the future."
For more information:
Laurien Danckaerts
Verbond van Belgische Tuinbouwcoöperaties (VBT)
Tiensevest 136
B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
T : +32 16 20 00 80
E : laurien.Danckaerts@vbt.eu
www.vbt.eu