Ecuador: AGRUPAR – Urban Agriculture in Quito

As of 2018, AGRUPAR supported 4,500 farmers each year. The program helped more than 73,000 city residents while indirectly benefiting another 114,000 through its initiatives.

By Sarah Stolar
Borgen Magazine
Oct 8, 2021

Excerpt:

The effectiveness of AGRUPAR’s initiatives is astounding. In an interview with The Borgen Project, program coordinator Alexandra Rodriguez reported that the urban gardens produce more than 1,350,000 kilograms of organic food per year. Participants generally consume 57% of this amount, but 43% of food products grown are sold, providing an extra economic benefit.

The program also promotes gender equality in Quito. Rodriguez stated that 84% of participants are women. The program provides a space where they can feel empowered and can improve their and their families’ conditions through agriculture and microentrepreneurship.

“The benefits for women extend far beyond agriculture,” Rodriguez said. “They acquire new knowledge and skills, extend their social networks, have more access and control over economic resources and more influence over the decision-making at home… They have the capacity to be active agents in their lives and to transform themselves, their families and their communities.”

Along with obtaining stable sources of nutritious food, participants of AGRUPAR gain a deeper understanding of food systems as a whole. Rodriguez emphasized the importance of developing a “sensitivity to better understand the processes that make food arrive at the table” as well as an understanding of the value of recycling materials, nutrition, healthy diets and relationships with other farmers.

Read the complete article here.