Staying Home and Growing More in Guatemala
A few years ago, small farmers in Guatemala needed a catalyst for change.
Martin Garcia works on his plot of land which is equipped with an irrigation system.
Their crops suffered from poor soil and farming techniques. Their harvests weren't enough to feed their families, let alone make a profit. Their children were visibly malnourished and frail. And finding work of any substance usually meant uprooting the family and forcing the children to leave school for seasons at a time.
But options were slim.
"Sometimes we left our children at home and they got sick while we were away," relates Martin Garcia Orellana, a 43-year-old father of four from Cubulco. Martin's family, like others, used to migrate to the southern coast of Guatemala to work in the sugar cane fields there. "Those were hard times for us."
Martin saw an opportunity for a better future five years ago when a parish priest and staff at Caritas Guatemala introduced him to the Food Security for Peace program. The project, administered by CRS and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), integrates agricultural programs with family health care, nutrition, water and sanitation, and childhood disease prevention.
"CRS and our partners promote sustainable development in our programs," says Nelson Guzmán, an agriculture technical advisor for CRS Guatemala. "Our programs call for the use of a holistic approach that addresses various causes of poverty and underdevelopment in which participating families live," he says.
The Camaja family.
The Food Security for Peace program was implemented in 350 communities within five Guatemalan departments: Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chiquimula, San Marcos and Zacapa. A major aim of the program is to draw families closer by preventing migration and keeping children in school.
"Two of my children go to school," says Manuel Camaja Perez, another farmer from Cubulco who used to migrate to the south coast for work. "We hope they can continue studying and better themselves, unlike my wife and me. I remember our parents used to take us with them to work far away to earn our keep, so we were not able to stay in school much."
The migration period usually spans from October to March — the bulk of a school year. According to a 2005 study conducted by CRS in the cities of Cubulco and Rabinal, migration caused families to break apart, and 80 percent of the interviewees told CRS that they would often become ill during the time that they were away.
Manuel Camaja watering small plants in the community-based greenhouse.
"It is estimated that over 90 percent of participating families depend on agriculture, hence agriculture is the central element that ties social, cultural, economic and environmental aspects of a family's life, and is often the means through which they can improve their lives," Nelson says about the Food Security for Peace program.
More and Better Crops
Upon starting the program, farmers organized collectively and divided plots of land to expand and diversify their crops. The program also helped build a higher-quality irrigation system and provided technical training. Farmers learned how to create organic composts with agricultural waste, plant using optimal distance and market their goods.
Martin Garcia Orellana explains, "The best thing that I have learned is that instead of burning the soil to clear the plantation area, it is better to put agricultural waste back into the soil, which improves the harvest." Martin now grows corn, beans, snow peas, tomatoes, onions, citrus and avocados.
"Today, more than half of the families produce more and better crops, which is why my family no longer has to travel to the south coast to find work," says Martin. His improved harvest allows him to reap a profit and buy more food for his family.
With additional support from Caritas, the farmers established a seedling nursery where, in 2005 alone, they grew 125,000 snow pea bushes and sold them for a price that sustained them throughout the year. Such assistance allowed them to build a greenhouse where they now grow tomatoes.
"We were very motivated to start working in the program. We organized in groups and they taught us how to cultivate in small plots and to produce adequately and sufficiently, and that's how we do it now," says Alberto Garcia, another farmer who participated in the program.
