FONTAGRO launched its Contest on Successful Cases of Innovations 2015 for the adaptation of family agriculture to climate change. The aim of this contest is to document successful experiences and lessons learned, as well as to contribute to a better understanding of the innovative process in order to contribute to the adaptation of family agriculture to climate change.

RULES

This contest is conducted with resources of FONTAGRO and the project entitled “Mecanismos de Transferencia de Tecnología y Redes Climáticas en América Latina y el Caribe (ALC)” Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). These funds could be supplemented with supplementary technical cooperation resources from other agencies whose mission is in line with FONTAGRO’s.

AIM

With the contest, FONTAGRO seeks to disseminate successful experiences of producers and other innovative stakeholders of the agrifood chains in climate change adaptation.

ELIGIBILITY

Profiles may be submitted for consideration by:

  1. Any research and/or development organization operating in an IDB beneficiary country in Latin America, the Caribbean or Spain, which has developed experiences in the region and/or in Spain, no matter the source of funding.
  2. Organizations of producers and/or private companies working jointly with small-scale producers.

CATEGORIES

Prizes will be awarded for the following categories:

Category: “Associations of Producers, Processors, and/or Marketers, and Nongovernmental Organizations”

Category: “Private companies working jointly with small-scale producers and/or processors”

Category: “National Research and/or Development Organizations and Universities”

Category: “International and Multinational Organizations producing knowledge and technology for small-scale producers”

ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES

There will be four special awards, one for each eligible category.

The prize includes:

  1. US$5,000 for the researchers, producers, processors participating in the case.
  2. US$10,000 for institutional capacity building at the winning institutions, with an impact on the adaptation of family farming to climate change.
  3. Trip to Washington, DC for the presentation of the case.

The best 12 cases will also receive a recognition and five copies of the final publication.

MODE OF SUBMISSION AND TERM

The case profiles must be submitted electronically by means of the form available in the FONTAGRO website, and sent prior to the deadline set in the Contest on Successful Cases of Innovations 2015.

Profiles submitted by other means or in other formats, or past the established deadline will not be considered. The profiles may not be changed after their submission.

The deadline for the submission of profiles is September 24, 2005 at 1PM, EST.


AWARDS

On May 14, 2016 FONTAGRO announced the winning cases of its 2015 Contest on Successful Cases “Innovative Cases of Family Farming Adaptation to Climate Change”.

With the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the support of its sponsors, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), FONTAGRO sought to identify innovative success stories in the adaptation to climate change, as well as lessons learned from family farmers.

Within the framework of the contest, FONTAGRO received 49 case proposals. After an assessment by a panel of experts, 11 cases were invited to submit their final proposals. The external assessment panel and FONTAGRO’s Board of Directors identified the most innovative experiences and selected the following winning cases:

Category:
“Associations of Producers, Processors, and/or Marketers, and Nongovernmental Organizations”

TITLE ORGANIZATION
Adapta Sertão – Social Technologies for Adapting to Climate Change. Rede de Desenvolvimento Humano (REDEH) – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fish for Life. Improving Farming Families’ Food Security and Finances. Centro de Promoción Agropecuaria Campesina (CEPAC). Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Asociación de Piscicultoras del Norte Integrado (APNI). Yapacaní, Bolivia.

Category:
“National Research and/or Development Organizations and Universities”

TITLE ORGANIZATION
Food Security of Family Producers in the Argentine Patagonia: Use of Local Genetic Resources and Adaptation to Climate Change. National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA – IPAF Patagonia).
Plottier, Argentina. Secretaría de Agricultura Familiar. Delegación Río Negro (SAF). San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.

Category:
“International and Multinational Organizations”

TiTle ORGANIZATION
Addressing Poverty and Climate Change with Agricultural Innovations for Family Farming in the Peruvian Altiplano. International Potato Center (CIP). Lima, Peru.
Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales y Medio Ambiente (CIRNMA). Puno, Peru.
Converting Rain-fed Farming to Irrigation through Rainwater Harvesting in Nicaragua and Mexico. Fondo Latinoamericano para Arroz de Riego (FLAR). Cali, Colombia.

Honorable Mention

TITLE ORGANIZATION
Transitioning from Cattle Farming to the Future We Want in the Chorotega Region. Asociación Agroforestal Chorotega (UNAFOR Chorotega). Chorotega-Hojancha, Costa Rica.

Cases were awarded $5,000 for distribution among case participants, and $10,000 for strengthening the institutional capacity of winning organizations in the categories “Associations of Producers, Processors, and/or Marketers, and Nongovernmental Organizations” and “National Research and/or Development Organizations and Universities”.

The assessment panel also came to a perfect tie between two cases in the “International and Multinational Organizations” category. It therefore unanimously recommended that the award in this category be shared by both groups of contestants.

The cases submitted under the category “Private companies working jointly with small-scale producers and/or processors” did not reach the minimum points required by the qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria, and the panel therefore decided not to award a prize for this category.

Lastly, FONTAGRO’s Board of Directors decided to award an honorable, non monetary mention to recognize an innovative case on intensifying cattle farming systems in Costa Rica. To request further information, please email fontagro@iadb.org

AWARDS CEREMONY

The awards ceremony was held on May 17, 2016 in Washington, D.C. The corresponding press information, photographs and video for the event can be seen in the links below.

Press release

Pictures

Video (only available in Spanish)


PUBLICATION

Impactful innovations: lessons from family agriculture on adaptation to climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean

Ver publicación en Español.

French edition.

English edition.