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ECOMERCADOS (ECOMERCADOS enhancing marketing opportunities for organic and fair-trade products from Central America)

Key message: Improved marketing of organic and fair-trade products from Central America with the aim to create better market acces and higher benefits for small and medium farmers.

Description

It is widely recognised that organic agriculture contributes to a sustainable use of natural resources. The production of most organic products is in the hand of smallholder families, who are the target group of this project.
The Project objective is to facilitate and increase trade and exports of organic & fair-trade products from Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua) to national, regional and overseas markets. This will be reached through better market access and higher benefits for small and medium farmers by improving and strengthening the marketing of these products.

ECOMERCADOS can initiate a process to improve the organic markets and function as a catalyst and a facilitator. The key issues are: market development and strengthening of the commercialisation system. The project promotes: Product marketing, training & capacity building and market intelligence. Expected outcomes are: Increased trade volume of organic products to regional and overseas markets (EU, US); Diversified offer of high quality organic certified products, Introduction of guarantee for organic products.

International partner: FIBL / CIMS

Fact sheet

Type: Trust fund project
Start: 2004 End: 2011 Status: Current

Region: Central America and Caribbean

Country: Honduras | Nicaragua

Working domain: Rural Economy

Key topic: Product and market development in agriculture and forestry | Market information management and market appraisal | Agro marketing | Fair trade of agricultural products

Funding source: Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

Staff

Project responsible: Jorge Gavarrete Maglione

Responsible at Delegation/Representation: Jorge Gavarrete Maglione

Responsible at Head Office: Robert Berlin

Advisors, programme officers: Robert Berlin

Associated staff: Therese Wyss | Véronique Achermann

Contact

Address:
Km. 3.1/2 Carretera a Masaya
20 mts Sur
Plaza Basilea
Módulo No.4
Managua
Nicaragua

Phone: ++505 270 00 47 Fax: ++505 270 18 11

E-Mail: nicaragua@ecomercados.org

Website: www.ecomercados.org

Resp. for this entry: rberlin

Achieving more together

Helvetas and Intercooperation entered a strategic partnership in 2008. Within the next 12 months, they will become one organisation under the name of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation.