Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles para las Ciudades

La producción sostenible puede salvar un lago en Nicaragua

November 29, 2024

En Nicaragua, las hortalizas de cadenas nacionales e internacionales, así como de pequeñas y medianas empresas de alimentos, son cultivadas por cooperativas de agricultores que operan a orillas del lago Apanás. Los agricultores producen alrededor de 213.000 toneladas (más del 90%) de la demanda nacional de hortalizas, pero la sedimentación, la deforestación incontrolada y las prácticas agrícolas nocivas amenazan la longevidad del lago. MASLAGO es una organización multiactor con partes interesadas del Lago Apanás, iniciada por Rikolto para promover la sostenibilidad y la resiliencia.

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País

Zonas

Latin America, Lake Apanás

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Alcance

Fortalecer la gestión empresarial y organizativa de las organizaciones de agricultores y optimizar sus métodos de producción para garantizar alimentos de calidad a los consumidores, reducir el impacto medioambiental y aumentar los ingresos de las familias productoras.

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Duración

2017-2021

Los retos a los que se enfrenta MASLAGO...

La sedimentación, causada por la deforestación incontrolada, y las prácticas agrícolas perjudiciales amenazan la supervivencia del lago Apanás en la próxima década. Además, se prevé que la escasez de agua provoque desempleo y comprometa la disponibilidad de verduras. Esto, a su vez, se traducirá en una dieta menos sostenible y diversa para los consumidores urbanos y rurales. Además, los productores de hortalizas nicaragüenses no reciben incentivos del sector público y, en general, no están organizados o lo están de forma deficiente.

La vegetación boscosa del lago se ha reducido en un 26%, mostrando una pérdida anual equivalente al 1,24%, lo que representa 190,22 hectáreas por año. Teniendo en cuenta el contexto político de Nicaragua, uno de los principales retos es institucionalizar las prácticas promovidas por la plataforma e incluirlas en las políticas públicas nacionales o locales. Sin embargo, el grupo se considera un espacio neutral en el territorio, razón por la cual reúne a tantos actores, incluidas las universidades públicas.

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En Managua, los restaurantes, las cadenas de comida rápida y los consumidores particulares necesitan verduras todos los días. Sin embargo, esa dieta podría cambiar drásticamente debido a la escasez de agua. Las judías y el maíz, por ejemplo, requieren mucha menos agua que la lechuga y la col. Si todos los agricultores de Jinotega cambiaran sus cultivos, esto tendría un impacto significativo en el consumo de verduras como la lechuga y la col en Managua.

Marcelo Villalobos

Estudiante de Universidad Agraria de Nicaragua

Estrategia

Comprender el paisaje y aunar fuerzas rumbo a una visión común

Rikolto has used the Integrated Landscape Management approach to facilitate the initiative. The approach was designed by EcoAgriculture Partners. It is a tool that allows various sectors, including agriculture, forestry, energy, fisheries, livestock, tourism to cooperate in coming up with innovative solutions to alleviate the growing pressure on natural resources.

Cycle route for integrated landscape management that Rikolto has facilitated with the MASLAGO group. (Global Forum about landscape, Varsovia, 2013)

In 2020, MASLAGO is evaluating its internal functioning

The group has developed a common understanding of the landscape and defined two strategic lines of work, namely sedimentation and pollution. Each member of the platform committed to work on one of these 2 lines according to their own vision and mission. To this date, the platform has focused on development:

  • Risk assessment studies to understand the threats to the landscape,
  • Multi-stakeholder discussions on the Integrated Landscape Management approach
  • The elaboration of a common vision for the landscape,
  • The drafting of a joint action plan,
  • The identification of financial resources for the implementation of the plan
  • The implementation of the plan

MASLAGO is organising activities such as waste collection campaigns for empty agrochemical containers


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Results

Results to date

  • The platform has developed its own action plan for the sustainability of one of the eight micro-basins of Lake Apanás, which is currently being implemented. This action plan brought together professionals and investments from the stakeholders that make up the platform, which has allowed sedimentation and contamination studies to be carried out, and the implementation of model farms with environmental plans to show the sustainability of productive landscapes. The idea is to continue developing tailor-made plans for each of the micro-basins.
  • The first forum on the sustainability of Lake Apanás was organised, which aroused the interest of several actors to participate in the platform and invest in the protection of the lake.
  • Each year at least one large campaign has been carried out to collect agrochemical containers for recycling to avoid contamination of the lake.
  • The studies currently being carried out will make it possible to better direct resources towards reducing sedimentation and pollution.
“Every year we organise a campaign to recycle empty agrochemical containers, with MASLAGO we expand the reach thanks to the participation of organisations such as La Cuculmeca, the indigenous community, the Tuktan Sirpi Children's Association and other private companies. Now we collect not only the containers, but also paper, cardboard and other environmentally polluting materials”

Flor de Maria RivasExecutive Director, ANIFODA

Figures

Duration of the programme

Execution period: 2017 -2021

Direct beneficiaries: 25,000 families

In 2017, the MASLAGO group organised the first forum for the sustainability of Lake Apanás. At this time, all private and public organizations were invited to learn about the lake's problems and exchange information from different perspectives. Vegetable cooperatives, NGDOs, universities and research centres participated.

Working with a landscape management approach allowed us to bring together stakeholders in an initial dialogue that led to the creation of MASLAGO. The 20 participating institutions engaged in a systematic process of exchange and common understanding of landscape conditions, including their challenges and opportunities. This allowed for collaboration in planning and the development of a vision and an action plan.

Guillermo Gutierrez

Project coordinator in Rikolto

International Food Smart Cities programme

Rikolto supports the transition to sustainable, inclusive and healthy local food systems in cities in seven countries around the world, namely Indonesia, Vietnam, Tanzania, Belgium, Honduras, Burkina Faso and Ecuador

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¿Con quiénes trabajamos?

Who are the members of MASLAGO?

The group currently consists of 20 institutions, including vegetable cooperatives and the indigenous community that benefits from the preservation of their environment and livelihood. Private companies that benefit from continued production around the lake, non-profit organisations, and research institutions have also joined the platform.

Meet the voices behind MASLAGO in the following mini-doc (video in Spanish with English subtitles)


We are MASLAGO

The group is made up of the following organisations, associations and companies:

  • Asociación Infantil Tuktan Sirpi - Jinotega
  • Club de Leones Jinotega las Brumas
  • Radio Estéreo Libre 95.3 Fm/Jinotega
  • AquaHub Nicaragua
  • Rikolto
  • La Cuculmeca
  • ANIFODA
  • Universidad Centroamericana
  • Centro Humboldt - Nicaragua
  • OFENA
  • Universidad Agraria - UNA
  • CIRA/UNAN-Managua
  • Cooperativa Coosempoda
  • Cooperativa Coosmprojin
  • Red de Agua y Saneamiento de Nicaragua
  • BORDA
  • Aldea Global
  • Agua para la Vida
  • Comunidad Indígena
  • RONAIX
MASLAGO
DGD

Contacto

Mariela Wismann

Directora del Programa Sistemas Alimentarios Sostenibles para las Ciudades | Latinoamérica

mariela.wismann@rikolto.org

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