Allin Kawsay Assists Andean Potato Farmers: Supported by BASF

Located in Huánuco, Peru

Contributed by BASF Peruana S.A.

ABSTRACT
In Quechua, the indigenous language spoken in the territory of the former Inca Empire, Allin Kawsay means “the good life.” Crop failures have devastating impacts on the smallholders’ livelihoods since potatoes are not only their major source of income but also serve as an important staple food crop in Peru.

In order to empower people to proactively change their lives for the better, BASF has ignited a project that helps the people help themselves: smallholders receive training on good farming practices and learn to enhance their entrepreneurial skills. In addition, they are provided with financial aid and other measures that help them close the gap between the production and marketing of their crops. These measures have the potential to raise crop yields by 50 percent or more and generate positive spillover effects resulting in a strengthened regional economy, better access to health care and education and improved quality of life. Since the project enables Andean farmers to achieve a good life, it has been named after their life moJo, “Allin Kawsay.”

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In order to empower people to proactively change their lives for the better, BASF has ignited a project that helps the people help themselves: smallholders receive training on good farming practices and learn to enhance their entrepreneurial skills. In addition, they are provided with financial aid and other measures that help them close the gap between the production and marketing of their crops. These measures have the potential to raise crop yields by 50 percent or more and generate positive spillover effects resulting in a strengthened regional economy, better access to health and education or improved quality of life. Since the project enables Andean farmers to achieve a good life, it has been named after their life moJo, “Allin Kawsay.” “coopering with local organizations is crucial to guarantee the long-term viability of our efforts.” One of these partners is “Campo Limpio,” an organization that campaigns for the professional and safe disposal of empty crop protection containers. “Aside from teaching the farmers about the correct application of our products, it is essential to ensure that empty containers are effectively recycled. If we don’t educate farmers about responsible disposal, the containers could get refilled with low-quality imitations of our products – or some people might even re-use them to store water and foodstuffs. It is our aim to avoid the unsafe handling of our products at all costs since our goal is to improve the quality of people’s lives in a lasting and sustainable way,” explains Cristhian Saldaña. The training that the farmers receive includes creating awareness on the responsible disposal of packaging materials. Although it is sEll in its infant stage, the project has already been recognized as a “best practice example” of packaging recycling by Campo Limpio.

Introduction on empowering people to proactively change their lives for the better

In order to empower people to proactively change their lives for the better, BASF has ignited a project that helps the people help themselves: smallholders receive training on good farming practices and learn to enhance their entrepreneurial skills. In addition, they are provided with financial aid and other measures that help them close the gap between the production and marketing of their crops. These measures have the potential to raise crop yields by 50 percent or more and generate positive spillover effects resulting in a strengthened regional economy, better access to health and education or improved quality of life. Since the project enables Andean farmers to achieve a good life, it has been named after their life moJo, “Allin Kawsay.” “Cooperating with local organizations is crucial to guarantee the long-term viability of our efforts.” One of these partners is “Campo Limpio,” an organization that campaigns for the professional and safe disposal of empty crop protection containers. “Aside from teaching the farmers about the correct application of our products, it is essential to ensure that empty containers are effectively recycled. If we don’t educate farmers about responsible disposal, the containers could get refilled with low-quality imitations of our products – or some people might even re-use them to store water and foodstuffs. It is our aim to avoid the unsafe handling of our products at all costs since our goal is to improve the quality of people’s lives in a lasting ands sustain able way,” explains Cristhian Saldaña. The training that the farmers receive includes creating awareness on the responsible disposal of packaging materials. Although it is sEll in its infant stage, the project has already been recognized as a “best practice example” of packaging recycling by Campo Limpio.

BASF as a reliable partner: BASF has managed, in coordination with additional partners, to support technical assistance, provide access to certified seeds, high quality crop protection products and the marketing of the harvested product. This is part of our commitment and contribution to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We work together with the Direccion Regional de Agricultura of Huánuco and the PAIS Program through the decentralized offices that are located in our program’s work zones. With them, we provide technical assistance to acquire seeds and agricultural inputs, as well as contact means for the commercialization of production.

Strategy

Allin Kawsay is a project directed by BASF Peruana S.A., which through knowledge and technology seeks to increase the income and improve the quality of life of the farmers. The project started its activities in Huánuco, located in the Peruvian high lands. In this region, the agriculture is the most important economic activity. Here the Andean population lives and works as small labour intensive potato farmers. The agriculture population of Huánuco has a variable technology. The remote areas have low technology, characterized by a production of self-consumption and having the rain as their common source of water. Due to the distance and altitude of these communities (above 3000 m.a.s.l), these communities receive a little to zero technical information about how to handle or manage their crops.

The effort done by “Allin Kawsay” is not an easy task, because there are periods of drought, hail, white frost, snow and erosion often cause difficulites for farmers. We can find different initiatives from the government and private entities in the region, but they are isolated and only a few of them get to complete the crop value chain.

Public and Private Partners include: Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) through the Agrarian Regional Direction of Huánuco; Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS) with the PAIS program and Campo Limpio, a private partner.

Collaboration between local operators/ partnership/ financing
The project is part of “BASF Starting Ventures”, a program through which BASF develops business solutions that empower people with low incomes around the world to reach a better quality of life, through the methodology of shared value. As part of the pilot, some fields were treated with BASF products to demonstrate the achievable improvements. Following the success of these trials, 1,111 farmers have already started using BASF products to improve the quality of their crops and will begin harvesting their potatoes in March or April next year.

Furthermore, 8,211 potato producers have meanwhile been trained by local professionals called “Amautas” which in Quechua means “masters” or “wise.”

Allin Kawsay was started in November of 2016 with the search and selection of the communities, including their leaders, the “amautas”. They receive empowerment and knowledge, being the objective to teach the communities the importance of passing on information and tracking the project. In all steps we have competent technical staff (promoters), who train and advice the farmers enrolled in the Allin Kawsay project. Currently, we are on the second year of the project, with the tracking and measurement of first results to date.

Structure of the Allin Kawsay Program

Quality and healthy planting material

The program has an activities structure, which includes training in topics related to all the productive processes of the potato. The topics developed are:

• Seed selection
• Seed disinfection
• Sowing

Previous to the sowing processes, the farmers receive training about the type of seeds they can grow in their fields, depending on environmental factors such as type of soil, climate, incidence of diseases and insects and market demand. This phase is very important to achieve the expected returns at harvest.Through the training of the program, the aim is to make farmers aware of the advantages they can obtain by using certified seeds and the places where they can be obtained. For this phase, we have the support of the Dirección Regional Agraria of Huánuco in order to inform of the places or farmers authorized to commercialize the certified seed. During the schedule visits, farmers receive training on how to disinfect the seed with permitted agricultural products. This process is manual, and it is necessary to wear personal protection equipment to manipulate these products. The sowing is done manually by the geographical characteristics of the area. Additionally, there are cases in which the farmer cannot purchase the certified seed and makes use of the tubers harvested last season. In this case, the technicians of the Dirección Regional Agraria provide training to the farmers about proper selection of the tubers to use as seed, treatment and optimal storage.

Farm management and cropping techniques

The farmers are trained in:
• “AgCelence” technology: under the Brand AgCelence, we offer products that beside their phytosanitary supplementary effect, optimize the physiology of the
plant and as a consequence, the use of manpower, water and fertilizers is more efficient.
• Handling of pests and diseases: From the diagnosis to the use of different methods of control existing in the area.
• Proper use of chemical products: From knowledge, selection and application.
• Personal technical advice: done by promoters in the same field.
• Implement demo plots: the technical follow-up of all the productive processes of the plot chosen by farmers of the Allin Kawsay program. From the seed selection to the harvest.

An important part of farm management is the proper cleaning and disposal of all chemical containers. An important point of the program is to change farmer’s mindset about the handling of agrochemicals and the impact they can generate in their lives and environment. For that reason, during the training, we teach the consequences of the reuse of empty containers. Farmers receive theoretical and practical trainings on triple washing, a process that must be carried out before disposal of the container in a properly labeled bag to be stored in suitable places or containers adapted for storage. The Amauta as the community leader, receives the identified bag where empty containers are collected and is responsible for their management together with BASF personnel. Currently, at different strategic points in our program’s work area, there are 36 adapted containers for the reception of the containers (approximately 300 containers per bag). When 2 bags of empty containers are completed, they are moved to the Campo Limpio collection center for the proper treatment of the containers.

Sustainable production and storage of potatoes

With the technology applied, the farmer obtains higher production and quality per hectare, with a higher proportion of first quality tubers compared to their conventional technique. Thereby, obtaining a higher income through the sale of the product.

Marketing

Allin Kawsay program looks to be the bond or support between the farmer and the market, giving tools and networking which enable the commercialization of potato as raw material or processed product.

Creating added value (packaging, excellent appropriate storage, transportation)

Allin Kawsay program looks to improve the process of supply chain with added value, to allow the farmer the commercialization of their production. We are looking for partners to collaborate in reaching the target of this project.