Florinda Mieles is one of the 20,000 cocoa and coffee farmers who have joined the Asómbrate project. She, along with her husband, Ramón Marín, breathes fresh air coming from the cocoa and citrus trees and the jungle itself. They arrived 14 years ago at the El Dique farm, escaping the horrifying violence that has plagued the fields of Colombia. There, they cultivate 4.5 hectares in the mountain thicket of La Paz district, in the municipality of Rionegro, Santander.
The Asómbrate Project: A Climate-Smart Initiative
“Because I grew up in the jungle, I have increasingly understood that human life is not based in deforesting, because if we deforest, we run out of oxygen,” says Ramón. His eyes open between grooves under the shadow of a hat that he never forgets on sunny days. “When we arrived here the farm was abandoned. The house was falling apart, and the crops were worse. There was no harvest, no pruning”, Florinda remembers.
However, there were 1,500 cocoa trees that gave them an opportunity. With the technical assistance of an agronomist affiliated to the National Federation of Cocoa Growers (Fedecacao), they began by cleaning the crops and testing the soil. “That's how we started to recover the cocoa farm. Trees are necessary because they give shade to the crops,” says Florinda. For her, trees are life, and cocoa means a lot: support for the family every two weeks or every month, when she sells the harvest.
Growing Impact and Future Goals
Florinda Mieles became the 20,000th farmer to join the Asómbrate program, a strategy of the Rabobank and Solidaridad partnership in response to climate change. This initiative provides small-scale cocoa and coffee farmers the opportunity to establish agroforestry systems on their farms, with shade trees, and to receive annual payments for carbon capture through voluntary carbon markets. They also benefit from having technical training and financing resources.
“Because I grew up in the jungle, I have increasingly understood that human life is not based in deforesting, because if we deforest, we run out of oxygen,”
says Ramón
Eighty percent (80%) of the resources from bond sales in the international carbon market go to farmers. Microsoft, another partner of the initiative, is the main buyer, ensuring the sale of carbon removal units (CRUs). This partnership highlights the accountability platform's commitment to data transparency and efficient carbon storage measurement.
In addition to Fedecacao, organizations such as Banco Agrario, Luker Chocolate, Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, Colcocoa, Cafisur and Financiera Coagrosur support the program. There is also the on-site assistance of Solidaridad Network's technical staff in the field, as an implementing partner of the strategy, directly coaching the farmers.
With families like that of Florinda and Ramón participating and working, the Asómbrate project’s purpose is to continue growing in 2024. The benefits of protecting crops from climate change and generating extra resources are already within reach of farmers in the departments of Meta, Huila, Antioquia, Quindío, Casanare and Arauca.
By leveraging the Acorn platform, this initiative not only fosters climate-smart agriculture but also enhances the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Through the implementation of agroforestry coffee and cocoa systems, the project contributes to sustainable development and environmental conservation. The Rabobank Solidaridad partnership, along with technological advancements and support from Microsoft, ensures that farmers like Florinda and Ramón can thrive while making a positive impact on the environment.
The Asómbrate project exemplifies how combining technology, finance, and sustainable farming practices can create a resilient and prosperous future for smallholder farmers.
More information
Nancy Amado
Communications Manager
Solidaridad Network
nancy.amado@solidaridadnetwork.org
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