Seed storage for families in Barra Ciega

Barra Ciega community project training in manufacturing metal silos

Barra Ciega is a community located in the rural area of the Sonsonate district of El Salvador where the Barra Ciega farmhouse is located. It is part of the Tonalá canton and is characterized for being a coastal town. Among its attractions is Playa Barra Ciega, a natural paradise still unexploited by tourists. It is actually a farm transformed into an agricultural cooperative. The tiny town is inhabited by the members of that cooperative and its settlers, who grow corn, sugar cane, plantain, papaya, etc. In Barra Ciega there are just over 2,500 inhabitants. A second income-generating activity for the members of this community is artisanal fishing to provide food for their families and improve their income.

Background

This project addresses food insecurity challenges that are more frequent and intense due to crop losses, the climate crisis, increasing soil infertility and natural disasters. Moreover, hurricanes, floods and drought are causing livelihoods to deteriorate. In addition, fewer farmers are able to access land because of more generalized poverty, while some multinationals continue their land-grabbing. According to the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises, 0.98M people were in crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above) in March–May 2021 which represents 15% of the population. Gang violence with narco-trafficking pushes even more Salvadoreans to flee. Migration continues to mount as fear and femicides increase. The climate crisis with weather extremes, especially in this area of the Dry Corridor, has resulted in 985 000 experiencing food insecurity from November 2020–February 2021 to March–May 2021, (a rise from 684 000), with 121 000 people in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), due to effects of the pandemic and insecurity. Hence, this initiative which seeks to empower economically young farmers, especially women and girls, by providing them with personal silos, so they can store their local seeds for consumption and income generation; while contributing to increased biodiversity, soil regeneration and preservation of local patrimonial seeds.

The good deed

With this GOOD DEED 50 farmers will be empowered and will acquire the knowledge in the manufacturing of metallic silos. Moreover, some silos will be given to a few participants, so they can increase their food security. It will also allow them to considerably reduce the loss of grains, enjoy greater food security and improve the diet and economy of your family. Indeed, the approach of metal silos is to ensure that any farmer who has one on his/her farm can have corn or beans for food all year round, and is free to decide when to bring his/her surplus crop to market, as well as a better pest management and control when storing the crop produced. Finally, the use of the metallic cycle will help to preserve the grain (corn, beans, sorghum) for a maximum of 4 years for its consumption or commercialization, which will represent safe food for the family in addition to controlling the pests that damage the grain, as one of the main mice and insects.