IICD supported project: Strengthening an information and training network for producers working with the CAMARI - FEPP equitable marketing system

Countries: Ecuador [EC]
Sectors: agriculture livelihood

Summary

CAMARI - FEPP markets agricultural products on the domestic and international level sustainably, on the basis of equitable trade to improve living conditions for small producers, with an orientation toward producing and marketing products. This project seeks to enable small indigenous and non-indigenous farmers to market their products, and guarantee increased sales volume by providing information on supply and demand, costs and pricing, and product quality in order to set marketing strategies. This will increase impact on the domestic market by leaving the intermediaries out, who erode farmers' livelihoods. The communications and information system grants greater access to the local, national and international markets. CAMARI-FEPP's fair trade system operates to facilitate business justice. The project seeks to consolidate an information and communication system that will also include the pilot project on E-Trade, Forming Regional equitable Marketing Systems (2002 -2004). The organizations that benefited from the project pilot are located in the provinces of Imbabura, Carchi, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo and Bolívar. The goal is to include eight intermediary organizations representing 35 grassroots organizations and 4300 families.

Objectives

To improve marketing of agricultural, processed and crafts products by small producers in CAMARI - FEPP Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous small-farmer member organizations.

Specific objectives:

• To enable Afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous small-farmer member organizations to learn about market requirements in order to orient production and marketing.
• To establish an information and communication system to link producers with CAMARI, in order to effectively market on the national and international market.

Planned outputs

To operate an information and communication system to help market the products of small-farmer organizations, by:

• Setting up information and communication sites. The main and regional centers and information and communication sites of second-tier organizations will operate optimally, under co-management by CAMARI and the respective organizations. Direct beneficiary organizations are expected to subscribe and obtain membership, to receive price and service advantages. During the project's first (18-month) stage, CAMARI and beneficiary organizations will chip in to cover fixed expenses. Resources to finance local contributions will come from the profits generated by marketing products and groups' annual membership fees.
• Training people to be responsible for information and communication in each intermediary organization.

The information and communication system for national-level marketing will work through the National CAMARI Website (already operating), and information and communication centers for marketing at CAMARI branch stores

Development Impacts

By inter-relating information with production and marketing, the cost-benefit advantages gained by small farmers will be their own responsibility. This will enable them to better orient their agricultural activities and to eliminate middlemen who take unfair advantage of their situation to exploit them, often making them feel powerless to deal with the process of getting their products to market at reasonable prices. The project's proposed goals have been set for a five-year period; great undertakings can be achieved by taking small steps.

Management and organisation

The project works with a central team responsible for leading it strategically and with timing. This team comprises a coordinator, an IT and administrative support manager, and a regional team responsible for compiling, systematizing and conveying the information, comprising the people responsible for the regional center, zonal delegates and the reporter for each grassroots organization.

Market and finance

Direct beneficiary organizations of the Information and Communication Center System will subscribe, obtaining a membership to receive advantages in pricing and service. During the first stage of the project (18 months) CAMARI and beneficiary organizations will contribute economically to cover fixed expenses. Resources to fund local contributions will come from profits generated by marketing products, and from groups' annual membership fees.

Lessons learned

• Small producers' interest in incorporating the use of ICTs will enable the target group to use these means to obtain information and thereby improve their sales by having the relevant information, and in turn improve their quality standards.
• In structuring at the grassroots level, one must take the prototype arrangement into account as the preparatory process.

Budget

The project will last five years, with a pilot stage of 18 months. The total budget for this period is $146,608.34 USD.

Project Owner : CAMARI / info@camari.org

Project Partners : Funder: IICD

Project Contact : IICD