Promoting Economic Development Options for Indigenous People

Northern Potosi, is a region with high agricultural and fruit production potential, both areas are distributed in different climatic productive potentialities levels; it is noted for example the peach, grapes, apples and corn production in the valleys, and wheat, bean, medicinal plants, quinoa, native potatoes and ocas in the high lands.

PRODII, promotes experiences in marketing of agricultural products such as goose derivatives, corn, quinoa, beans, fruits and others, which are developed by indigenous people. The most positive result is the positioning of "agro-biodiversity" products. PRODII also has, for generations, fostered experiences with marketing processed agro-biodiversity products, such as: oca tuber products, corn, quinoa, broad beans, fruit, camelids, infused teas, ground ulupica hot peppers, honey, handicrafts, etc., developed by the native/indigenous men and women and peasant communities in Potosi.

The project has identified some difficulties:

-Producer associations are still not competitive in local markets.
-The producer organizations still fail to build alliances with other organizations.
-Spaces are still weak for fostering and promoting products in different scenarios.
-There are few spaces of diffusion, information and advocacy to encourage the consumption of products with an organic origin.

From this challenge and the working experience developed on strengthening producer organizations, the project intervention is warranted, which will strengthen the organizations and make them sustainable.

The project is part of the country's development policy, it articulates the approach to commercial enterprises and the promotion of organic farming. It is aligned to ICCO's policy, related to the economic empowerment program. This proposal also allows fulfilling the ICCO - SARO indicators, in terms of organizations of small producers and number of male and female beneficiaries.

The proposal seeks to strengthen a commercial initiative, this project will be coordinated with ICCO's Business Booster component.

The project also includes strengthening associative spaces such as "OECAs" Peasant Economic Organizations and "OEP" Productive Economic Organizations. This contributes to the economic development of the region, department and country.