Guatemala - Demonstration Area
SID and the Fundación
Kaslen, a Guatemalan NGO, have been carrying out a demonstration area in 29
communities in the Comalapa region of the Department of Chimaltenango of
Guatemala. In the first year of the project, SID and Kaslen helped farmers
adopt and/or improve seven farming
practices: (1) digging shallow water
retention ditches to both harvest water and protect against erosion; (2)
constructing individual bench terraces where coffee trees were not planted
in contour; (3) constructing continuous bench terraces where coffee trees
were planted in contour; (4) composting leaves, plants and animal dung; (5)
constructing shallow ditches around the base of coffee trees for applying
organic fertilizer at the root-ends of the trees; (6) applying organic
fertilizer to coffee trees and vegetables; (7) improving the shade cover of
coffee trees. The emphasis was on coffee because some farmers in the region
had cut down their coffee trees and planted corn, beans, and vegetables
because of the fall in coffee prices. Farmers in Comalapa had decided to
grow organic coffee and secure the higher price paid for specialty coffees,
and farmers throughout the region where waiting to see whether this would be
profitable.
The farmers, along
with Kaslen, and SID carried out an extension evaluation of the first year
of the project, and they decided to expand the project in the second year to
address more crops and products. The farming practices selected for adoption
and/or improvement during the rainy season from February to early July were:
(1) constructing water retention ditches, terraces, and live barriers to
curb erosion; (2) establishing tree nurseries for both forest species and
fruit trees; (2) composting foliage to make liquid fertilizer; (3) pruning
coffee trees to increase their vitality and improving shade cover; (4)
increasing the production of vegetables; (5) remodeling existing stables to
increase the health and productivity of animals; (6) using organic
fertilizer and natural insecticides for coffee trees as well as vegetable
gardens. Many farmers can still make money on coffee, but they also want to
diversify their production. In addition, they want to begin planting trees
in the upper reaches of their watersheds.
