This text is part of the special section on International Cooperation
For the Union of Agricultural Producers International Development (UPA DI), equal opportunities are a priority and economic justice a necessity. While a large majority of people in a situation of food insecurity live in rural areas, the organization promotes the circular and solidarity economy in the countries of the South.
If you haven’t tasted it, who hasn’t heard of the famous harissa sauce, made from dried red peppers and particularly spicy? Like couscous, dates and olives, it is one of the traditional Tunisian dishes, mostly processed and prepared by women. In Tunisia, producers are grouped together in mutual agricultural service companies (SMSA). UPA DI is working with these organizations to provide more climate-responsive services for women processors.
An environmental analysis has identified the threats linked to climate change, such as the appearance of invasive insects, and the consequences of certain agricultural techniques in this country. Training focused on awareness and practice is provided to women who need it. “The goal is to provide them with environmental and economic tools,” says Hugo Beauregard-Langelier, secretary general of the UPA DI. On the climate side, it is a question, for example, of finding solutions so that their activity is less dependent and consumes less water.
On the economic side, if several women need pots to store the products they manufacture, instead of buying them individually, they are encouraged to make collective purchases from the SMSAs and thus benefit from better prices. “We always wonder how to act in the face of climate change, but in a profitable way for the women and men who will implement these changes,” he continues. We cannot only ask people to take all the risks without there being an economic benefit behind it. The two are linked. »
Beyond these two dimensions, Tunisian women still experience discrimination and struggle to access positions of responsibility. “We also want them to be able to assert themselves in their organizations to become managers and have roles in governance bodies,” adds Mr. Beauregard-Langelier. The project is aimed directly at 4,500 women from 6 regions of Tunisia, and it is carried out in collaboration with the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and the Maghreb and North African Union of Farmers ( UMNAGRI).
Betting on the circular economy
The UPA DI supports professional agricultural organizations in several other countries in the South, where it wishes to restore economic justice with its local partners. “In general, farmers have had less access to education and real opportunities,” says Hugo Beauregard-Langelier. We want to give them these chances to help them have a decent income corresponding to a fundamental job, that of feeding the rest of the population. »
To do this, the organization promotes the circular economy, that is, an approach allowing a circular movement of money within a community rather than out of the country. Born ten years ago in Haiti, the school canteens initiative is a good illustration of this idea. “It started in the town of La Brousse, very landlocked, making it difficult to sell food outside the region,” says Mr. Beauregard-Langelier.
So why not create demand within the community itself? Inspired by collective kitchens in Quebec, the UPA DI has worked with groups of women, who buy local products in order to transform them into school meals for students in schools. The concept has worked so well that it has been extended to other regions in Haiti, which remains one of the poorest countries in the world and vulnerable to natural hazards, and most recently in Senegal.
“Relay farmers”
Mr. Beauregard-Langelier is also on a mission in Senegal, from where he tells us about the first findings related to soil infertility in the early 2000s. “There were few or no soil analyzes to know their composition, so we started mapping them to adjust the acidity levels and the types of fertilizers,” he explains.
Most of the arable land there is considered arid or semi-arid. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), these lands are particularly vulnerable to climate change and damage caused by over-exploitation and unsustainable agricultural practices. The level of land degradation in Senegal has reached 34%, according to a report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
The Dekkal Suuf project (bringing life back to the land, in the Wolof language) was thus born, with the establishment of “advisory clubs” in soil health, led by “relay farmers”. Once trained, these local producers pass on their knowledge to other members of the farming community. Techniques related to water management, crop management and weather forecasting are also taught, as well as agricultural practices adapted to climate change.
To make farmers as independent as possible of imports, recipes for biopesticides, particularly in peanut-producing regions, have been developed. “We say to ourselves that we were right, when we see the shortages of fertilizers linked to the war in Ukraine”, underlines Hugo Beauregard-Langelier.
The secretary of UPA DI recalls that the organization’s interventions are always carried out in co-production with local partners in the field, according to an approach of decolonization of aid, applied since its creation in 1993. Regular remote monitoring and through occasional missions is preferred to the presence of expatriates who coordinate the projects. “We see great benefits, because the partners are involved in all stages,” he concludes. While this approach is not perfect, in its own words, it is a step in the right direction.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.