Part 2: The Project – Inclusive Value Chains
The IVC project helped FECOPROD demonstrate that cooperatives are significant drivers of local development. In addition to the cooperative principles of solidarity, responsibility, and trust, cooperatives also have the capacity to impact sustainable and long-term democratic development in their communities.
The core of the IVC project is the promotion of agricultural value chains with special attention to the active inclusion of women, youth, and indigenous peoples. This is achieved through activities and strategies that incorporate environmental sustainability and mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change.
One of the first activities of the IVC project, was strengthening the institutional capacity of smaller cooperatives. FECOPROD provided training to help improve governance, leadership, financial management and increase transparency in their operations. Once these cooperatives were strengthened, their quality improved and productivity increased, they were linked to larger cooperatives and leading private sector companies in the agricultural value chains to expand their market reach.
