Corredor Seco Food Security Project in Honduras

The project

The Project is part of the Alianza para el Corredor Seco (Alliance for the Dry Corridor, ACS), the government flagship programme to support interventions for the vulnerable population in a series of contiguous municipalities in a large dry strip of land stretching from Costa Rica to Guatemala. The goal of the project was to reduce poverty and hunger sustainably in the Corredor Seco of Honduras. 

The strategic focus concentrated on four strategic pillars:
 

1. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture. The fundamental purpose of the local agriculture is to feed and nourish the population, which is why the project focused production agriculture as the main source of nutrition through what families harvest and eat, and promoted productive systems that offer access to more varied and nutritious diets.
2. Intelligent agriculture with climate change, reforestation, and resilience. Optimizing the productive system of families to generate as much nutrients as possible per orchard or garden. Increasing and diversifying production with high value-added crops in a sustainable manner, sensitive and intelligent to climate change. This was done through technology transfer and training for proper agroforestry management, with an intelligent management of micro-watersheds and with careful and planned diversification of crops.
3. Inclusive markets and economic growth. Strategies and business plans were developed according to an analysis of demand for business opportunities in the market, under an inclusive growth approach, pro-poor policies that primarily benefit poor and extremely poor households. The implementation activities enhanced the training of agricultural and non-agricultural business people, producer groups (formal or informal) and their integration into existing value chains, as well as the development of those chains with assured market potential.
   The project introduced sustainable mechanisms for local socio-economic development, working closely with local stakeholders and existing service and input providers to strengthen their capacities and bring them closer to each other.
4. Generation of social capital through local capacities. One of the main mechanisms was the generation and strengthening of local capacities from the start of the project. From the collection of socioeconomic data sheets of households and the selection of Health Monitors, the project team worked hand in hand and strengthened the capacities of households, youth, local leaders, local and regional authorities, local NGOs, water boards, productive groups, and stakeholders relevant in the gathering of information, analysis and design of solutions. This participatory and capacity-building approach ensured the transfer of knowledge and skills to all stakeholders. Throughout the process, priority was given to the participation of all stakeholders, including women and people with special abilities.

Activities focused mainly on:

• Promotion and adoption of nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices
• Consumption of nutritious and diversified food, complemented by education campaigns
• Creating or strengthening inclusive markets through a value chain approach, which provides access, profitability and sustainability to productive activities
• Adoption of intelligent agricultural practices to climate change (intelligent agriculture)
• Increasing production through proper management of natural resources, taking care of the environment, management and preservation of river basins and micro-watersheds
• Gender empowerment to build gender equity; and
• Building up social capital through local production-related capacities

Project partner

• Creative Associates International
• SNV Netherlands
• Zamorano University
• CIPE Consultores
• Diconsa