Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Environment (SAFE) Platform [AFFILIATED]

SAFE was created with the mindset that through strategic partnerships and the implementation of projects in Latin America, resources, and experiences dedicated to promote, design, and implement sustainability practices can be optimized and have a greater impact in transforming coffee and cocoa landscapes. Our structure allows us to work on local, national, regional, and international stages addressing the specific challenges and opportunities present at each level. Workshops with coffee farmers in Nicaragua on gender equity, local-government backed actions to harvest water in coffeelands across three countries, and work with cooperatives to understand and develop price risk management strategies on a regional level are only a few examples of how we are addressing the challenges that we face in creating more sustainable food systems. A fundamental component of our Platform is that we facilitate the sharing of information and tools with all people interested in learning more about sustainable environments. The Platform is project-based. The three largest active projects are: 1. Blue Harvest. The goal of the initiative is to restore and manage water resources while increasing farmer income in the coffeelands of El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. 2. Farmer Link. This project contributes to the economic and social empowerment of 2000 small-scale coffee producers in the departments of Antioquia and Chocó, Colombia. Through a set of technology tools, field agents and financial services, the project seeks to improve quality, productivity and sustainability in the coffee crops owned by Smallholder Farmers. 3. Price Risk Management. This project brings together a diverse group of organizations for the creation of a unique PRM project that aims to transform the profitability, credit-worthiness, and competitiveness of 16 selected cooperatives from Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, and Peru over a three-year period. 4. Transforming Mexican Coffee: The project will provide farmers with access to cutting-edge science, technology, and training. Specifically, the program will help farmers by focusing on four key elements (1) Establishing WCR-Verified Seed Nurseries, (2) Calculating the ROI of On-Farm Climate-Smart Investments, (3) Improving Data-Driven Decision Making and (4) Connecting Disaggregated Smallholders to Specialty Markets. Project will be focus on Mexican coffee regions of Oaxaca and Chiapas. 5. Climate Smart Cocoa: The project’s objective is to enhance the competitiveness of small-scale cocoa producers of Ecuador through access to precision agriculture technologies and innovative credit products. The project will make use of geographic information systems (GIS), drone surveillance, and satellite imaging to efficiently monitor farms and track changes in crop health over time. Additionally, the platform is co-investing in complementary operations (16 at the moment) in order to test new approaches and prototype concept that could go to scale. More information about projects and its activities can be reached at http://www.safeplatform.org/main-projects As of Jan 2019, the projects, located in 10 Latin American countries, have benefited over 143,490 farmers (39% women / 22& youth). Total investment at the moment is 20.1 million in projects that will help transform coffee and cocoa landscapes. For any questions or comments, you can send an email to info@safeplatform.org