A key partner country in the SOCODEVI story, Guatemala is the most populated nation in Central America but also the one with the highest rates of poverty, especially in rural areas. In some regions, 80% of the population lives in poverty despite significant economic potential. Furthermore, the exclusion of women and their confinement to informal sectors of the economy only makes the situation worse.
Over the next five years, SOCODEVI will lend its experience and expertise to improve the living conditions of thousands of people in the Alta Verapaz region, the most disadvantaged in the country. This work is part of CRECER, a new project supported financially by the Government of Canada.
“CRECER means to grow or expand and that’s the idea we’re working on – sustainable and inclusive economic growth for women in particular, but also for youth. Nearly 90% of the population of the region is indigenous and living in precarious conditions. Above all, our support is aimed at the economic empowerment of women, increasing employment opportunities and better marketing of products from agroforestry operations, a sector in which we have a lot of experience in this region of the country.”
MICHEL MATHIEU
Program Manager at SOCODEVI.
SOCODEVI’s actions will have an impact on 4,500 people, including nearly 2,000 women and youth of the Q’eqchi’ ethnic group. The promising value chains for cardamom and turmeric will be central to the involvement with producing families. About twenty member cooperatives of the FEDECOVERA network will be involved in the project.
Resilience in Dealing With Climate Change
Reducing the vulnerability of populations facing the impacts of climate change will be another area of focus for the CRECER project. For several years, Guatemala has been one of the countries most affected by extreme climate conditions. In collaboration with the FEDECOVERA network, SOCODEVI will provide populations with adapted strategies and tools to strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate change.
“We will mainly work on farming practices to support producers’ adaptation to changing climatic conditions. Implementing climate-smart agriculture mechanisms will reduce the vulnerability of these families, which is essential in order for our project’s impact to be sustainable.”
MYLÈNE SAVARD
Environmental Advisor at SOCODEVI
Furthermore, the project activities are linked to Guatemala’s national clean production policy and environmental protection program. CRECER is a 5-year initiative led by SOCODEVI with financial support from the Government of Canada.
More information on our activities in Guatemala will be available on our website and through our Facebook page.