Quinoa Initiative

Background

The Italian-based Fondazione AVSI (Italy) has a long history of working together with AVSI México. In fact, the latter is a spin-off of the former, thanks to a planned process of autonomy carried out several years ago, while maintaining a strong connection between the two. Since then, the two organisations have worked together on a number of cooperation projects funded by various donors, including the European Union. Thanks to this experience, the two entities have shared knowledge and expertise in various fields and sectors, with a special emphasis on rural development. The Fondazione AVSI is an international leader in sustainable agriculture, thanks to its very own model based on an integrated approach (economic, social and environmental sustainability). In turn, AVSI México has focused its efforts on the capacity building of small-scale producers' organisations with a particular focus on indigenous peoples, specialising in organisational models. Both entities have worked both individually and jointly with the Fundación León (Argentina) on several occasions, sharing knowledge and experience, as well as human and technological resources within the framework of cooperation projects.

Throughout this long trajectory of specialised work, collaborative frameworks have been established with other renowned entities in both Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. Several of these entities have also wished to join this initiative as collaborating entities. Some provide specialised knowledge, such as Asociación Cultural para el Desarrollo Integral (Argentina), providing sustainable business models with a focus on social and cultural capital, or FIBO Social Impact (Argentina), providing digital fair trade models that are adapted to small producers' organisations. Others contribute their knowledge of the local area, such as Fundación Gran Chaco (Argentina), sharing the work carried out with local small-scale producers, which has resulted in the experience 'El Futuro está en el monte' (the future is in the countryside), along with the Secretaría de Relaciones Internacionales de la Provincia de Tucumán (Secretariat of International Relations of the Province of Tucumán, Argentina), providing institutional support and the connection with the Zona de Integración del Centro Oeste de América del Sur (Integration Zone of the Central West of South America - ZICOSUR). The University of Bologna (Italy) has joined them in this Initiative, providing models of integrated management of agroecological systems. At the same time, the University is interested in learning about real-life experiences of integrated management in Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout the Initiative, each entity has shown great commitment, with the strong possibility of working together in the future.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Fundación León Logo
Fundación León

Argentina

First provider entities

Second provider entities

Development challenges

Thanks to this Triangular Cooperation Initiative, Fundación León was able to maximise all of the knowledge, experience and relational capital in generating and applying models of sustainable agriculture with an integrated approach, adapted to the indigenous population; therefore guaranteeing the leading role of the small-scale producers' organisations of Fondazione AVSI, AVSI Mexico and all the collaborating entities. In this sense, contributing to their goal of establishing a sustainable and participatory approach in all its development programmes in various provinces of Argentina, primarily in contexts with indigenous populations, with the aim of generating models that can be scaled up throughout the country.

Working under a Partnership-based approach enriches and strengthens all of the entities as a whole, which was reflected in each and every planned activity. In this case, each person involved actively participated, and the experience of each entity was collected and shared, thereby making it available to all the others. A number of previously identified small-scale producer organisations from Mexico and Argentina also joined this triangular initiative, with 'much to learn and much to contribute'. 

In addition, Fundación León applied the rural development model in various locations, which emerged as part of the Initiative, and will serve as an additional lesson learnt for all the Partnership entities.

The global presence of Fondazione AVSI, currently active in more than 30 countries, can help spread this knowledge, and above all, apply these models to other countries and regions.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative strengthened the capacities of the Partnership member entities to develop and apply sustainable agriculture models adapted to the indigenous population, thus guaranteeing an active role for the small-scale producer organisation as key actors in economic development and sustainability.

Triangular approach

Small-scale producers' organisations are key players in the paradigm shift towards a more sustainable agriculture that, without foregoing economic development, places value on the social and environmental capital of the land. 

In the complex system of agricultural production, the recognition and proactive role of civil society on behalf of small-scale producers, and indigenous peoples in certain cases, has proven to be an essential and indispensable factor, but one that is not always acknowledged.

This Initiative tapped into the knowledge and extensive experience of European and Latin American entities in sustainable agriculture and the capacity building of small-scale producers' organisations, sharing this expertise with one another and with a number of previously identified small-scale producer and indigenous organisations, with whom they had already formed a working relationship. All of this was framed within an approach based on collaborative work and mutual learning, which is embodied in the Initiative's nine activities.

In parallel, the first steps were taken to define an intervention model to be replicated, both by the stakeholders directly involved and by other actors in other territories.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

Secondary SDG

Goal 2.3 By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment.

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

Goal 17.7 Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative was envisioned as a training process, based on a direct relationship between the technical teams of the Partnership's entities, through permanent engagement and by providing the corresponding support to the small-scale producers' organisations. To support this work, it was necessary to define an intervention model that was the result of joint work and mutual learning, and remains one of the main legacies of this Initiative.

The process began with two workshops, in which Fondazione AVSI shared its working method in the field of sustainable agriculture, tapping into its experience in other contexts, as well as its strategic relationship with international organisations and public and private entities specialised in the field, both in Latin America and the Caribbean and other continents.

Following this, four specialised thematic seminars were held, featuring one for each of the Initiative's core areas (sustainable agriculture, capacity building and fair trade), in addition to a gender-based approach. Each seminar consisted of several sessions on different days, combining theoretical presentations with real success stories, which were led by the Partnership entity with the most knowledge and experience in the subject. To this end, a horizontal approach was adopted, while harnessing and sharing the knowledge of each and every actor involved. These seminars, together with the workshops, were specifically designed for practitioners from the Partnership entities and representatives from the small-scale producers' organisations involved.

A series of open seminars was also held. This modality consisted of different sessions throughout the Initiative, open to Partnership entities and the organisations involved, as well as other local entities and the general public. They addressed issues related to the core topics of the Initiative from a broad, up-to-date and informative perspective. 

In addition, during the first month of implementation, a consultancy in the form of a cross-cutting assessment was carried out in a specific community where the Fundación León operates, in order to fine-tune the contents of the workshops and seminars, and in particular to begin creating the working model. Subsequently, another consultancy supported the application of this model in several communities and helped to identify the main lessons learnt from its application. In this regard, a practical hands-on approach was provided in the training course, which was highly useful to all Partnership entities.

The Initiative concluded with a congress in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. During this first Summit on Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture, the main lessons learnt and the corresponding outcomes were presented. Synergies were also created between the different actors as a result of the joint work, with the aim of strengthening the outcomes internally and sharing them with the international community.

The workshops and seminars were conducted virtually, thus facilitating participation from all countries involved. The congress was held in person, also featuring live broadcasting and recording of all the work sessions.

 

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

According to Rule 9 of the Guidelines for Applicants: all persons participating in the activities of the Initiative.

This Initiative had 193 direct beneficiaries from two well-defined groups: professionals from the Partnership entities who were particularly involved in all the planned activities (approximately 26), along with representatives of the organisations of small-scale producers, indigenous peoples from Mexico and Argentina, and representatives from public entities and academic institutions (approximately 167).

In the case of the representatives from the small-scale producers' organisations, all of them had benefitted from a previous relationship or connection with AVSI México or Fundación León, who in turn promoted the active participation of the representatives. In this regard, the entities encouraged the contributions and leading role of these representatives in each of the activities, not only as recipients of the knowledge shared but also as providers of it. At the same time, they come from very different backgrounds, which laid the foundation for powerful synergies: from the Quilmes people to second-tier networks or platforms of small-scale producer organisations, such as 'Alma nativa' and 'El futuro está en el monte' in Argentina, or 'Red POLO' in Mexico.

It is worth noting that a broader audience ended up participating, both in the open seminar and in the congress, as participants were added to this list of direct beneficiaries throughout the course of the Initiative.

Budget

EU contribution: 35,891.25 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 33,961.00 €

Total budget: 69,852.25 €

 

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