CAF participates in the delivery of tools, seeds, supplies and birds to boost family farming in Panama

Skirting the mountains, admiring the verdant landscape, and inhaling the scent of damp earth, one arrives at the community of Boca de Tocué, part of the corregimiento of Toabré, in the district of Penonomé, the capital of the province of Coclé, in central Panama. This is where CAF—the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean—is committed to social and territorial inclusion, fulfilling its mission: to be the green and blue bank of the region and a bank of sustainable and inclusive growth.

Amidst the murmurs of those present, restrained smiles, and silent glances—which speak volumes—the heat and humidity are palpable; however, these elements are not bothersome because there is an underlying joy that surpasses even the more than two-hour journey that many had to undertake to reach the meeting point: a half-built chapel. The sun is at its zenith, but even stronger is the community's faith, their hope, and their dream of a better life: "We don't have the money, but we have the will to work," said one of them. Men and women (children, youth, adults, and seniors) from 150 beneficiary families, most of them led by women, are present.

In the background, the calls of the team from the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP), the project's implementing agency and a strategic partner of CAF through non-reimbursable technical cooperation, can be heard. Each family leader's name is called out. They are interviewed individually. Their information is verified, the objectives are reiterated, and they sign their commitment. In return, they receive tools, seeds, supplies, and poultry to boost family farming, with a view to future commercialization.

The official ceremony began with remarks from Father Rufino Morán, head of the Toabré Pastoral Zone, who has been working in the community for three years, both within the Church and in the community. He thanked those present, CAF, the CCIAP, and the state institutions that had provided their support. Nilka Vargas (from the Paso Real community) and Aníbal Sánchez (a resident of Boca de Tocué) expressed similar gratitude. Beyond thanking them for the prior training, the donation of tools, seeds, supplies, and poultry, their gratitude focused on the outreach: the fact that they had come directly to their community.

Lucía Meza, CAF representative in Panama, emphasized that the multilateral organization is pursuing “several objectives through these concrete actions: greater social well-being for families and the community; the ability to obtain products from the land while protecting nature; providing families with this knowledge; access to a source of income that allows them to ensure food security through these products, which will be cultivated using sustainable practices, and the ability to offer them to other communities to improve their living conditions.”

For his part, Aurelio Barría Pino, vice president of the CCIAP (Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture), noted that the idea is “not only to develop these farms for their own cultivation, but also to have a long-term vision of becoming entrepreneurs, taking their crops to market, and generating income. It is important to visualize it this way because the message here is that we are not giving them a fish, but rather teaching them to fish so they can be independent.” He also highlighted the importance of “strengthening the sense of community to organize themselves and transform the crops they will be cultivating into future income” through cooperative efforts.

After several weeks of training and presentations of business plans by the beneficiary families, Claudio Sánchez, Director of Administration and Finance at the CCIAP (Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture), detailed the contents of the kits that were distributed. The poultry kit includes: laying hens and broilers, 5 meters of wire mesh for the coop, a feeder, a waterer, and half a hundredweight of starter feed. The vegetable kit includes: 8 varieties of seeds, organic fertilizer, planting tools (shovel, hoe, and rake), a manual sprayer and insecticide, and 4 brochures with simple explanations for better agricultural management.

Representing the state entities were: planner José González, from the National Directorate of Rural Development of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), and Hilgán Alvarado from the Panamanian Autonomous Cooperative Institute (IPACOOP). The CAF delegation included: Barbara Auricchio, senior executive of the Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity Management; Rebeca Vidal, senior executive of the Technical and Sectoral Analysis Directorate; and Sergio Avilés and Kathy Nuñez, country executives from the Panama Office.

After receiving the kits, the families left carrying their tools, seeds, supplies, and poultry to the vehicles that would take them back to their communities. There, they began working to achieve their goals with the support and follow-up they would receive.