Based on the years of experience FUNDAEC has developed a three-year project whose main aims are to

1) contribute to food security by granting communities access to fruit trees;

2) promoting soil recuperation through the establishment of local compost spaces; and

3) enhancing the economic viability of small businesses—which can further support the previous two aspects at the local level.

The project is situated in the interplay between a number of broad issues: climate change, food security, plant species recuperation and income generation through the creation of small businesses. The business centers are around the two specific needs for which there is a demand of products: tree saplings and organic material to recuperate soil nutrition.

The project is organized to be developed in two communities within the first year, two additional communities during the second year, and a final two communities in the last year. This incremental growth will allow for the lessons learnt in the first years of the project to be incorporated into the second and third year and to also not saturate the market in the available products (nurseries and compost centers) all at once. In addition, during the first year FUNDAEC will strengthen its existing nursery at its Education Center in Perico Negro, Cauca so that it can serve as a central sorting space for all of the smaller and satelite nurseries.

It is expected that these nurseries will be a sources of income and set in motion small businesses

in the region in addition to supporting climate change mitigating activities.

The project will take place in six (6) communities in the Norte de Cauca Region. These are, potentially, Perico Negro, Puerto Tejada, Alegrias, Mingo, Villa Rica, and Agua Azul. The beneficiaries of the project include the people trained to establish the nurseries and compost centers (aproximately 20 individuals trained), the families who run the businesses (12 families), the community members who will be able to have access to the nurseries and compost centers, (roughly 12,000 individuals), and the participants from FUNDAEC’s other programs which will indirectly participate and benefit from these projects (200 individuals).

Project Goals

Year 1

During the first year of the proejct, a demonstrative nursery will be set up in the Education Centero FUNDAEC has in the village of Perico Negro. This nursery will serve as the main nursery for the region and will be used to help start the offshoot nurseries. Additionally, the educational materials which are needd to train individuals will be revised and the first two communities where the proejct will begin will be choosen and the nurseries and compost centers

will be established.

• Establish a demonstartive nursery in Perico Negro, Cauca

• Refine the educational materials for establishing nurseries in order to train people

• Establish the first offshoot nursery associated with this main nursery in Community 1.

• Refine the educational materials for creating compost production sitesin order to train

people

• Establish a compost production site (business) in Community 1.

• Establish a second offshoot nursery in Community 2.

• Establish a second compost production site (business) in Community 2.

Year 2

At the ofset of Year 2 we will conduct a simple economic viability study to ensure that the the business model tried during the first year is viable before expanding to communities 3 and 4 during the year.

• Develop a viability study based on the businesses established during the first year.

• Establish the third offshoot nursery in Community 3.

• Establish a third compost production site (business) in Community 3.

• Establish the fourth offshoot nursery in the village of Community 4.

• Establish a fourth compost production site (business) in Community 4.

Year 3

In the final year of the project the efforts will spread to communities 5 and 6 and the entire project will be summarized in a final project report.

• Establish the fifth offshoot nursery in the village of Community 5.

• Establish a fifth compost production site (business) in Community 5.

• Establish the sixth offshoot nursery in the village of Community 6.

• Establish a sixth compost production site (business) in Community 6.

• Final economic viability study and end of Year 3 report.