Cape Verde – Natural Resource Management & Agricultural Production

Empowering Community Members to Better Manage Their Natural Resources

The mountainous terrain, rocky soil and frequent droughts make agricultural production a difficult endeavor in Cape Verde. Since 1992, in order to help the country meet its food requirements, ACDI/VOCA has been working to empower Cape Verde farmer groups and community associations to manage their own natural resources, boost agricultural productivity, diversify crops and increase rural household incomes.

ACDI/VOCA’s 2002-2006 activities in Cape Verde are funded by a USAID PL 480 Title II monetization program. The monetization of U.S. wheat and corn allows ACDI/VOCA to undertake various project activities valued at over $15 million to improve livelihoods among rural populations in Cape Verde. The program’s activities focus on three main objectives:

• increasing the availability of agricultural products through natural resource management, such as the construction of soil and water conservation works and introduction of new technologies such as drip irrigation
• encouraging the development of an active and dynamic microfinance sector
• promoting better dietary practices

All activities under these objectives strengthen the organizational capacity and business skills of various community-based civil-society organizations, including formal community associations, women’s groups and informal farmer groups.

ACDI/VOCA has had a high level of success over the past five years in achieving the main project objectives while also fostering the development of a complex network of client-driven service organizations dedicated to reducing poverty and food insecurity.

Natural Resource Management

ACDI/VOCA helps community associations develop into sustainable entities that can effectively manage contracts for the construction of soil and water conservation works and for forestry activities. In the short-term, they provide rural families with an added source of income and valuable construction and management skills. By managing their soil and water conservation and forestry contracts effectively, community associations decrease environmental degradation and earn profits that are invested in other community income-generating and social activities. In the long-term these works are aimed at increasing the availability of water for agricultural production during drought periods by improving infiltration of water into the soil and increasing the rate at which wells recharge. These activities will minimize soil erosion and boost yields.

As part of ACDI/VOCA’s promotion of better natural resource management, drip irrigation technology has been introduced to maximize benefit of limited water resources, which has contributed to an increase in horticultural production. Farmers using drip irrigation report significantly higher incomes, and fresh fruits and vegetables, once scarce commodities, are now available year round. ACDI/VOCA also assists community associations and producer groups that use drip irrigation to develop the capacity to market their members’ produce more effectively.

Microfinance

After creating a successful and profitable microfinance program in 1997-2001, which has been transferred to a local bank to assure its after-project continuity, ACDI/VOCA established and is currently assisting local microfinance institutions (MFIs) with developing their own loan management and accounting systems. Local MFIs provide loans to finance all types of productive activities. One important linkage to ACDI/VOCA’s agricultural activities is that many loans focus on providing farmers’ access to credit for to upgrade their farms to use drip irrigation systems. ACDI/VOCA also works with the local MFIs to increase their capacity to provide quality financial services and technical training for these specialized customers.

Nutrition Education

ACDI/VOCA promotes better dietary practices through nutrition awareness training, coordinated crop production and product transformation. The product transformation activities specifically work with women’s groups to produce vegetable and fruit products in sealed jars with extended shelf life. These products sold on the local market increase the income of rural women and the availability of fruits and vegetables in the marketplace throughout the year. ACDI/VOCA has also partnered with the Cape Verdean Ministry of Health in a joint effort to ensure effective project activities and to build the ministry’s capacity to monitor the nutritional status of children and assists with media campaigns aimed at improving the nutrition of the Cape Verdean population.

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