A cocoa plant for a small farmer in El Salvador

Beans for a better life

Cocoa cultivation in El Salvador

The Germans are not only soccer world champions, they are also way ahead when it comes to chocolate consumption. Around nine kilograms of chocolate are consumed per capita in Germany. On December 6th in particular, the chocolate Santa Claus is a must in every boot. But under what conditions was the cocoa that ends up in Santa Claus actually grown? Unfortunately, the cultivation of cocoa far too rarely contributes to a better life for cocoa farmers. Child labor and poor working conditions are the norm among producers who only grow cocoa. In El Salvador, INKOTA is supporting a project at the San Miguel volcano that is taking a different approach: small farmers grow cocoa as a supplement to staple foods, fruit and vegetables. They can use the cocoa for their own consumption or sell it to cover urgently needed expenses. Their food supply is still secure - but the income is also an important step out of poverty. In addition, the cultivation of cocoa has a high ecological benefit: the trees improve the microclimate, reforestation increases the groundwater level and prevents soil erosion.

need

Cocoa plants for and training of small farmers in El Salvador.

activity

The local NGO OIKOS provides cocoa plants for small farmers at the San Miguel volcano and trains them in cocoa cultivation, which they then carry out professionally.

Measurable performance

Number of small farming families who each planted 30 cocoa trees and thus contributed to the reforestation of the San Miguel volcano.

Result

The small farmers harvest cocoa and earn a small income from it. The cocoa trees improve the microclimate and reduce soil erosion.

Systemically relevant impact

The income from cocoa cultivation reduces the poverty of small farming families. They have money to finance things like food and schooling.

background

Anyone who is poor and lives on the slopes of a large volcano is vulnerable in several ways: when it rains heavily, torrents increase soil erosion and there is a risk of mudslides. This can sometimes destroy entire harvests. But as soon as people lose even a part of their harvest, it is no longer enough to feed their families. There is a risk of starvation.

This project addresses this double danger: by growing cocoa, small farmers are given an opportunity to earn money that is also less susceptible to weather fluctuations. At the same time, the reforestation component improves the ecological situation at the San Miguel volcano. This project is therefore about reducing both ecological and social vulnerability. The project improves disaster prevention and at the same time the income situation of the families involved.

Chaparrastique volcano, San Miguel district

The good deed

"We are protecting the environment and growing something that will give us an income," José Adan Brisas Libertarias is already looking forward to the new project, which will enable him and other families to start growing cocoa. Each small farmer will initially receive 30 cocoa plants as well as organic insecticides and fertilizers. Each cocoa plant is a contribution to a better life for the families involved and an improvement in the ecological situation at the San Miguel volcano.

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