Strengthening sustainable agriculture and community-based tourism in southern Ecuador

Southern Ecuador has historically faced high rates of migration from rural to urban areas.

Youth leaving for larger cities have left rural farming communities with weakened social networks and reduced ability to market their goods collectively. The IAF supports community-led solutions that expand economic opportunity and provide viable alternatives to migration.

Our grantee partner the Asociacin de Desarrollo Agropecuario Familiar de Gel (ADAF-Gel) will build on the infrastructure constructed using its previous IAF small grant to broaden marketing strategies and diversify incomes including adding value to its produce and formalizing an existing agritourism component.

Additionally this grant will support the establishment of Ecuador?s first permanent mobile farmers? market which will allow for safer food distribution and purchase during the pandemic and provide continued income generation once the crisis has passed.

Amendment FY24 :This amendment provides ADAF-Gel with an additional two years and $154,500 to improve tourism marketing and infrastructure and to seek out and formalize public and private sector partnerships to ensure the sustainability of its community-based agricultural and tourism model.

ADAF-Gel will continue prioritizing food security for local families and responding to increasing demand for its sustainably farmed produce through the mobile farmers? market.As part of the amendment, ADAF-Gel is mobilizing an additional $88,990 in counterpart resources to the grant agreement.