Sustainable Production of Andean Agave

Partnership
Initiative

Background

The Asociación Nacional de Cadenas Productivas del Penco y la Cabuya en el Ecuador (National Association of Productive Chains of Penco and Cabuya of Ecuador - ANAGAVEC) is comprised of 30 Andean agave producers in Ecuador. The entity is a national leader in strengthening capacities among Andean agave producers in the sustainable production and commercialisation of products derived from this traditional crop. ANAGAVEC has led the recognition and formalisation process for the protected designation of origin status of Miske, an alcoholic beverage derived from the distillation of the sap of Andean agave. This ancient drink, rooted in the Andean culture, has been revived, adding value and gaining recognition at the international level.

In turn, the Colegio Internacional de Técnicos y Maestros Tequileros, Asociación Civil (International College of Tequila Technicians and Masters, Civil Association - CITEMATEQ) in Mexico is a well-known authority in the training of tequila professionals, as well as in advising consumers and companies on positioning the product in the international market. CITEMATEQ carries out important work in the research, development and dissemination of sustainable production practices, with a focus on product quality.

The Lycée Agricole et Viticole d'Amboise (Agricultural and Viticultural High School of Amboise), a local public agricultural vocational school and training establishment in the Loire region of France, offers school and technical apprenticeship courses for young people and adults. The main objective is to contribute to the training of future managers, company directors and employees in the winemaking and equestrian sectors. It is one of the leading entities in the training of wine producers, with a focus on sustainable production and the diversification of its added value.

ANAGAVEC has led the process to establish a Triangular Cooperation Partnership between these three entities, with support from the Fundación Progressio Ecuador (Progressio Ecuador Foundation), which will act as a collaborating entity in the Triangular Cooperation Initiative. The aim is to strengthen the sustainable production of agave and its by-products in Ecuador, drawing on good practices and lessons learnt in Mexico and the tradition and history of French winemaking.

Entities and roles

Beneficiary entities

Asociación Nacional de Cadenas Productivas del Penco y la Cabuya en el Ecuador (ANAGAVEC)

Ecuador

First provider entities

Colegio Internacional de Técnicos y Maestros Tequileros Asociación Civil (CITEMATEQ)

Mexico

Second provider entities

Lycée Agricole et Viticole d'Amboise

France

Collaborating entities

Fundación Progressio Ecuador, Ecuador

Development challenges

Andean agave is an ancient crop that represents a part of the region's identity, rooted in the Andean culture of Ecuador. Most of the producers belong to Indigenous communities, which in many cases are vulnerable, requiring support for the revalorization of the crop and to improve productivity in a sustainable way. At the same time, this revalorization must be accompanied by the positioning of the Andean agave-producing region as a cultural and quality tourism destination, in order to directly benefit the Indigenous communities.

Based on Mexico's experience in sustainable agave production and France's expertise in improving competitiveness and diversifying the added value of the wine industry, this Triangular Cooperation Partnership seeks to support ANAGAVEC in the design of a sustainable agro-industrial production model for Andean agave, providing added value and ensuring socio-cultural benefits.

This Triangular Cooperation Initiative seeks to promote capacity building among the Partnership entities in order to create an integrated management model for the sustainable production of Andean agave, which aims to maintain its protected designation of origin status, while ensuring respect for the environment and cultural traditions.

Triangular approach

The industry affiliated with the distillation of the agave plant in Mexico, which produces beverages such as tequila and mezcal, has led to single-crop farming, forest loss and climate change, resulting in unsustainable business and labour models. Recognising this issue, organisations such as CITEMATEQ have promoted the transition towards a circular economy by harnessing the entire production cycle to obtain a range of quality products and by-products, thus positioning sustainable production within the tourism and cultural sectors and redistributing the benefits to producer communities.

At the same time, the extensive history of French wine production, rooted in its cultural identity as well as its experience in the promotion of designations of origin, will serve as a guide for the design of tools to improve quality and traceability. It will also serve as inspiration to create strategies for the positioning and revalorization of Andean agave and Miske, as Ecuador's national beverage with a global presence.

The knowledge of the Partnership's Provider entities will allow ANAGAVEC to strengthen its capacities to transmit best practices to its production units, in order to improve the yield, profitability and sustainability of Andean agave production. In turn, the knowledge acquired will make it possible to restore its cultural value as an ancestral crop in Ecuador; achieving global recognition and contributing to the regional economy by adding value, promoting the sustainable tourism industry, strengthening local communities and continuously improving crops through good practices.

The Partnership entities also aim to establish new collaborative opportunities to increase marketing activities, share knowledge and best practices through the continuous exchange of experiences, and share the Sustainable Management Model of Andean Agave, which will be developed for use in other contexts, countries and regions.

Sectoral approach - Contribution to the 2030 Agenda

Primary SDG

Goal 9.2 Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries

Goal 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities

Secondary SDG

Goal 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

Goal 12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

Goal 12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

Goal 12.B Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

ADELANTE SDG

Goal 10.1 By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average

Goal 17.9 Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation

Territorial approach

Intervention methodology

The work plan of this Initiative is based on seven activities that, on the one hand, will provide opportunities for the transfer of knowledge and mutual exchange between the Partnership entities, and on the other, will help develop tools to strengthen the Beneficiary entity, based on the knowledge and expertise of the Provider entities.

The Initiative will begin with a study in order to obtain information on the distribution, concentration and production of agave in the Andean region of Ecuador. This study will enable the identification of actions to ensure the protection of the Miske designation of origin, as well as guidelines for the development of the tourism industry in the productive areas.

Throughout the implementation period of the Initiative, three study visits will be made; one in each Partnership member country. The visits will create opportunities for experience-based exchange, in which joint learning will be encouraged, with an emphasis on experiences that are of interest to the Beneficiary entity. A visit will be made to the Loire region in France, structured around the management and promotion of French wine production as a model of success and inspiration for the new Model of Sustainable Management of Andean Agave. This will be followed immediately by a visit to the Jalisco region, where participants will learn about the experiences of the agave production and tourism system in Mexico, which are also contributing to developing the Model. The third visit will take place in the Andean region of Ecuador, where the Provider entities will learn first-hand about existing practices in the production of Andean agave, as well as the context in which the model should be applied.

At the same time, two consultancies will be carried out to identify the ancestral knowledge and cultural practices of the Indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Andean region, as well as the role of women producers and their leadership. This knowledge will be taken into account in the development of the Sustainable Management Model for Andean Agave, ensuring that an anthropological and gender approach is included.

Finally, the Initiative will close with a face-to-face seminar in the Pichincha region of Ecuador, where the Sustainable Management Model for Andean Agave will be presented. Producers of Andean agave will be invited to the seminar, in addition to local and national authorities responsible for production and trade in the country. In addition, there will be academic representatives and actors from various agricultural production chains who may be interested in the model.

Direct beneficiaries (individuals)

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

This initiative aims to reach more than 150 direct beneficiaries, primarily from productive units and ANAGAVEC employees. This figure also includes at least 15 people from the Provider entities of the Partnership, and at least 3 civil servants from public entities at the local and national level, to whom the model will be presented.

Budget

EU contribution: 178,047.07 €

Co-financing - Triangular Cooperation Partnership: 64,027.00 €

Total budget: 242,074.07 €

Download PDF