Aloe Vera Farmers Collaborate to Reduce Waste

By -
In addition to Southeast Asia, Aloe Vera
production is exclusive to Central America
and the Southwestern U.S.
Did you know there are more than 40 ways aloe vera plants can improve your health? Not only is aloe an incredible agent for soothing summer sunburns, but it can also act as a superfood for those brave enough to consume it. These benefits make growing aloe vera an extremely profitable livelihood for farmers that choose to pursue it Central America.

Despite the unique economic value of aloe vera plants, smallholder farmers in Guatemala still face a major barrier to profitability. At La Floresta Aloe Farm in the Western Highlands of the country, the resources required to cultivate a crop of plantlets for export are often double what they should be. More than 50% of plants they grow are rejected due to mechanical damage during harvest, stunted growth, and improper herbicide spraying techniques. Poor plant nutrition has also resulted in extremely low growth rates. During 2014, there were only about eight plantlets per exportable aloe Vera plant, far below the expected 35 plantlets (that's 77% underproduction!) To address this issue, Farmer-to-Farmer connected La Floresta with integrated pest management and plant nutrition specialists Dan Culbert and Shawn Steed. Both volunteers brought prior experience working with aloe vera, as well as improving management practices for other crops and ornamental plants.

During the two week assignment Jorge Dieguez 
accompanied and explained all the nutritional and 
pest problems that La Floresta was dealing with. 
The team took time to meet with the host organization and F2F field staff via Skype prior to their departure for Guatemala. After outlining a game plan, they wasted no time getting down to business when they arrived on site. By improving plant nutrition and harvesting techniques, farmers aimed to reduce plant rejection rates to no more than 5% and salvage an additional 45% of their crop. Dan and Shawn drew on their wealth of combined experience to recommend fertilizer rotations, specialized selection of mother plants, and improved integrated pest management (IPM) practices.* Between analyzing compost for composition of nutrients and experimenting with vinegar as an herbicide, farmers at La Floresta were left with a comprehensive toolkit of ways to improve production and export more plantlets.

Highly specialized projects like this one help us work towards Farmer-to-Farmer’s goal of improving livelihoods and promoting sustainable development throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Because of Dan and Shawn’s assistance, smallholder farmers will increase their incomes, waste fewer agricultural resources, and sooth more sunburns using aloe vera grown in Guatemala!

Volunteers Dan Culbert (left) and Shawn Steed (center)
assisting a local ornamental producer in Cobán Alta Verapaz.
Dan and Shawn were also extremely excited about the opportunity to transfer their technical knowledge and make connections with agriculturalists in Central America. Browse our blog to find out more about how we recruit technical volunteers and how their passion propels them to create lasting change in the communities they serve. 


*Integrated pest management is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case ...
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017....
Read more

Supporting Anti-Child Labor Projects in Ecuador and Panama

By -
Image
EducaFuturo is a program currently being implemented by Partners of the Americas in Ecuador and Panama. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), EducaFuturo seeks to combat child labor in both countries through educational programs, vocational training, and livelihood services. F2F has partnered with EducaFuturo on numerous occasions over the past 5 years, sending 7 volunteers to support their efforts in improving the educational outcomes of youth involved in child labor, while also increasing the income opportunities of households to reduce reliance on child labor. Volunteers have provided training on a range of topics, including sustainable production practices, processing, business management, and marketing. In January 2016, F2F volunteer Carmen Pacheco-Borden traveled to Panama to work with native Ngabe-Bugle women’s groups in the tomato farming communities of Hato Chami and Boca de Monte to make value-added products from their harvests and consequently increase their hous...
Read more