Based in the northern Caldas region of Colombia, Asociación de Productores Indígenas y Campesinos (ASPROINCA, Association of Indigenous and Peasant Producers) is a community-based organization that works with close to 350 indigenous farming families to diversify their agricultural production in an environmentally responsible manner.

A key objective of the association is ending local dependence on coffee production. The initiative promotes sustainable agricultural practices and encourages the recovery of native varieties of beans, maize, panelera cane, and fodder plants to increase household food security. ASPROINCA also trains farmers to harness biogas from animal waste, thereby relieving pressure on surrounding forests for firewood. The adoption of sustainable eco-agricultural practices preserves the area as a critical micro-watershed that serves the rural peasant communities of Riosucio, Supia and Qunchia.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2008
Founded: 1995
Location: Southern Colombian Andes
Beneficiaries: 350 communities
Biodiversity: 70 native food seeds, Andean forest reserves

 

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