On July 11, the Generalitat Valenciana, through the Petjades NGOD, approved COMFENALCO Antioquia’s project Sowing the future in the La María indigenous community, located in the town of Valparaíso, with a total cost of $890 million, equivalent to €341.777.
This project will be developed over 25 months, during which time a 3.5 hectare plantation of exotic flowers –platanillo, Heliconians and turmeric- will be established, and 2 hectares of foliage, as well as a number of fruit trees for their commercialization and pancoger plantations for supporting their nutritional security.
The plantation will benefit 30 indigenous families which represent 135 persons of the embera-chamí ethnicity. Apart from the productive project, they will receive attention through the following mechanisms:
- Integral human, agricultural-ecological management, social and labor-related and commercial training.
- Endowment of family and community tools.
- Marketing and sale of flowers and foliage (turmeric root).
- Creation of a community savings fund.
The resources for co-financing this initiative come from the solidarity of over 850 COMFENALCO employees whom, voluntarily, contribute a percentage of their monthly salary until achieving the sum of €73.301. The Generalitat Valenciana, throught the Petjades NGOD, contributes €133.745; on its behalf, the Departmental Agriculture Secretary contributes €40.927, the Indigenous Management €6.606, SENA €1.503, COMFENALCO Antioquia €39.887 and the project beneficiaries €45.808.