Background: looking for sustainable solutions
Invasive insect species (such as Bactrocera dorsalis and Aulacaspis tubercularis) cause failures of 80 to 100 percent in mango crops in Ethiopia, thereby threatening the livelihoods of many smallholder families. Consequences of climate change and declining soil fertility also create difficulties in mango production.
This is where our project comes in: our local partner icipe develops agroecological methods to best adapt them to local needs, and then trains farmers in how to use the methods.
But this is not enough on its own. Farmers are sometimes forced to abandon agroecological practices (such as agroecological pest control) because necessary components (such as fruit fly traps, biopesticides or even knowledge) are unavailable or insufficient. This is why we support young people in developing business models to supply these needs. In doing so, we train them in both business management and agroeconomic practices. The young entrepreneurs can then supply farmers with the necessary knowledge or materials needed for agroecological practices.