Paraguay

Our Work

In Paraguay, we started work in 2020 with a focus on: 

• Strengthening short supply chains by connecting small farmers with the sales markets in nearby cities. By having shorter supply chains, we can directly market to and communicate with consumers to explain why products are worth their costs.
• Partnering with the private sector through collaborations with retailers, to allow farmers to access new markets, establishing “sustainable shelves” in supermarkets.
• Raising awareness amongst consumers on the complex aspects of sustainability that their consumption behavior entails.

Our Results

Smallholder engagement and business collaboration

Future Food Together partnered with Eco Agro and APRO, the main organisations that work on agroecological production, as well as farmers’ associations. In cooperation with APRO, a consultant explored the obstacles that smallholder farmers face in accessing markets. Through workshops and face-to-face interviews, possible solutions to challenges faced have been identified, such as the continued strengthening of platforms, the promotion of associations, and access to secure financing. We have also strengthened and broadened agro-ecological and organic farming practices.

Future Food Together supports alternative certification schemes such as Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) by working with regional non-governmental organizations. PGS place a high emphasis on incorporating all stakeholders in the establishment of standards and control mechanisms.
Through the nonprofit Paraguay Organico, assistance was offered to 27 farmers, who were then given trainings, marketing possibilities, and encouraged to use the PGS strategy in three districts. Various workshops, including one on the preservation of regional medicinal plants, were held. Producer families place a high value on seeds and their preservation, necessitating effective postharvest management, storage, and conservation techniques. Certificates were distributed to participating farmers in May.

Additionally, we collaborated with supermarkets such as Los Jardines to support farmers to access new market channels and “sustainable shelves” installed in Paraguayan supermarkets.

Our Future Food Together Team supported the private sector to transition towards more sustainable practices and has developed a sustainable consumption guide.

Consumer Outreach

Consumer awareness-raising activities and communication techniques were used in the project areas major cities. To amplify information through their audiences and foster engagement, direct marketing was conducted to 60 influencers prior to the launch of the PLANETA-T campaign. Also, the campaign was covered by two television networks, numerous radio stations, and newspapers, and interactive activities such as the distribution of thousands of PLANETA-T tea boxes and informative online trivia questionnaires were carried out in partner supermarkets. In order to expand the audience, many communication channels (including the press, media, social media, and print media) were used.

In order to spread knowledge about sustainable production and consumption, including agri-food products and the use of eco-labels, the project undertook a national communication campaign on SCP with the Ministry of Consumer and User Defense (SEDECO). Moreover, SEDECO received support for its efforts to restructure the national inter-institutional SCP roundtable.