Sustainable agriculture

The micro enterprise MOK+A+, started with about twenty stockholders from four communities of Kichwa, Huitoto and mestizos, produces biological rice to provide the local market. This project was started in 2004 and receives technical and administrative support from vzw Putumayo. Rice cultivation is an ecological alternative for the intensive and illegal production of coca.

Furthermore the cultivation of coca leaves needs a lot of investment and insecticides and herbicides are used that gravely damage the environment. The fact that the cultivation of coca is ilegal, causes ilegal and criminal activities that damage the social cohesion of the communities. Rice is more labour-intensive but profit can be generated and easily be integrated in the traditional agriculture system. Plagues can be contained with the help of natural products that are produced by the farmer families themselves. The fields that are used are often flooded, so the ground fertility is always guaranteed. On the dryer fields the fallow period is respected to allow forest regeneration.

The communal enterprise MOK+A+ gives the farmer families the opportunity to peel their rice (necessary to receive a fair price on the local market) and also offers logistic support (delivery of high quality seeds, bags to preserve the harvest, transport facilities, the buying and selling of peeled rice for fixed prices).

Vzw Putumayo provides in the capacity building on the field of (i) sustainable rice cultivation; (ii) maintenance and repairing of the rice peeler; (iii) functions of the Board of Directors; (iv) accountancy and organization strengthening