Adventures in the Chocó part 3: Women as social engines and economic drivers of the Chocó region by Karin Albornoz

Quibdó, Chocó region, Colombia

The next goal of our visit was to meet the “campesinas” (small-scale female farmers). In this project, the aim was to work with ~40 campesinas that were already participants of other activities organized by our strategic ally, FUNBICHOCÓ, a non-profit organization founded in 2007 by UC Davis alumni Dr. Adriana Elisa Parra. One of FUNBICHOCÓ’s principles is to promote the development of the people of Chocó through practical education, both formal and non‐formal, in all relevant areas, with a special emphasis on women. In company of Dr. Parra and our strategic partner (and Adriana’s husband) Fredrick Fox, we traveled to two villages of the Chocó region, Samurindó and Yuto, where some of the participants live.

A view from the villages of Samurindó and Yuto, both crossed by tributaries of the Atrato River.

We introduced ourselves and had an extensive talk about the agricultural and agronomic conditions, the crops that are produced in those villages and how the postharvest handling was performed. We realized that due to the type of market they reach (mostly their neighbors, the inhabitants of the same village or sometimes the capitol Quibdó), the amount of postharvest losses they have for fruit and vegetables were significantly less than what we originally estimated because the consumption is almost immediate. Nonetheless, they do have important losses of cereals (corn and rice) for consumption and for seed use (to grow the same crop the next season), mostly due to insects and fungal infestation. This was consistent to our initial expectations, since the absence of temperature control during storage and the existence of relative humidity conditions above 80%, constitute the perfect combination for postharvest pathogens and insects to grow.

Postharvest storage of grains such as rice and corn is compromised by the environmental conditions of the area, which facilitate the growth of insects and pathogens. Red circles in the right picture indicate the presence of weevils, a common postharvest pest.

At the end of the day we also had the chance to visit the FUNBICHOCÓ Center of Excellence, located near Yuto. At this Center, displaced women have the chance to participate in multiple training activities organized by this NGO. This will be the place where the workshops of the project will be held. The Center had enough chairs, tables, natural light and plenty of space to conduct the postharvest and packaging material demonstrations we had planned. This place is also equipped with a traditional stove that the campesinas use to cook meals every time they meet.

The FUNBICHOCÓ Center of Excellence was built by the community. In this place, they have access to training activities in different topics, with the ultimate goal to promote their empowerment and development in multiple areas.

At this point we feel very happy and grateful for having the opportunity to get to know these wonderful hard-working and resilient women and to be part of their community for at least short time. They have been incredible generous to us by sharing their traditional knowledge and let us explore what agriculture means to them and what their concerns, dreams and expectations are.

To be continued…