Innovative Solutions for Agricultural Value Chains Project

The Guatemala Innovative Solutions for Agricultural Value Chains Project is supported by USAID as part of Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative, and implemented by Agropecuaria Popoyán, S.A.

The objective of the project is to reduce poverty and chronic malnutrition in Guatemala’s Western Highlands.  The project aims to increase the prosperity and resilience of rural communities by providing new economic opportunities that improve the livelihoods and resilience for small-scale farmers and their families to reduce irregular migration.

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS AND DEMOGRAPHIC APPROACH

The objective of the project is to increase agricultural incomes, improve resilience, and enhance nutritional outcomes for small farmers and their families in five departments of the Western Highlands (Huehuetenango, Quiché, Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, and Totonicapán).

CONTEXT AND CHALLENGES

Poverty and malnutrition have long affected Guatemala’s rural areas, presenting challenges for economic growth and development in the country.  Food insecurity is mainly caused by poor families’ lack of access to food, water, and hygiene services alongside unhealthy nutrition and child feeding practices.  Additionally, food security and incomes of smallholder farmers are vulnerable to climate variability, natural disasters, and market shocks.

Since agriculture is the basis of the nation’s economy, the project capitalizes on the economic potential of the region by increasing farmer productivity, transforming crops into value-added products, and facilitating market access to generate income.

EXPECTED RESULTS

1.    Improved agricultural production and diversified income-generating alternatives.
2.    Increased market access and public-private partnerships.
3.    Improved resilience of the natural environment through climate smart agricultural practices.
4.    A more well-nourished population.
5.    Institutional strengthening in agriculture and food security.