The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) will launch a project in Belize to promote good agricultural practices, aiming to enhance food production and build resilience.
This initiative, “Creation of Opportunities to Support Alternative Livelihoods,” is part of Component 3 of the Project to Develop Community Resilience through Transformative Adaptation (EDA), funded by the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), according to a press release.
EDA serves as a grant mechanism for climate adaptation financing, focusing on five interconnected components that strengthen community resilience.
The project is expected to directly benefit 150,000 people and indirectly support 100,000 more.
To implement Component 3 — set to run for 42 months with an investment of over $1.3 million — IICA Belize has signed a contract with PACT.
Soil Restoration and Less Use of Fertilizers
As part of the IICA initiative, five demonstration farms will be established to train and guide producers in soil restoration techniques. These methods will enhance organic matter, improving water retention and making the soil more resistant to erosion and drought, ultimately boosting productivity.
The project will also promote biological fertilization practices, including composting and the use of compost teas. These sustainable approaches will help reduce reliance on chemical pesticides and fertilizers for pest control.
“The project will be carried out with communities that usually use traditional practices that include crop and burn systems, the unregulated use of herbicides and pesticides, and the cultivation of products near rivers or on slopes. These practices often result in an increase in soil erosion, a decrease in water quality and a direct impact on the functioning of local ecosystems; and they are not sustainable,” explained the IICA Representative in Belize, Mauricio Guevara.
The initiative will also include a business module to help community members develop skills for generating income from local natural resources in a sustainable manner.
“By strengthening their economic sustainability, community members will be more resilient to the economic impacts of climate variability, with strengthened food production systems and livelihoods dependent on improved natural resources,” Guevara added.
In this way, the project will help build Belize’s long-term capacity to protect communities from threats such as droughts, floods and unpredictable water availability.
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