Climate change resilient families in Honduras

For 32 years, the COMAL network (Red COMAL) has worked to support the livelihoods of small-scale producers. During this period, resources have been allocated to strengthen the capacities of rural and indigenous small-scale farmers to conserve and protect native seeds.

Main achievements:

More than 35 women and 63 men in departments of Choluteca and La Paz participated in five training workshops and are now able to apply methods to classify and conserve native seeds found in their communities, including various varieties of corn, beans, maize, squash, coffee, and more. The communities include Los Horcones and La Pintura in the municipality of Concepción de María and Guasaule in El Corpus in the department of Choluteca. In the department of La Paz, the communities of Los Puentes and El Cedro in Opatoro are actively engaged in the process.

As part of the training process, these COMAL communities undertook an inventory of native seeds, fruit trees and medicinal plants that exist in the communities. Two Native Seed Conservation Centers (CCSN) were constructed. Additional support included equipment and materials for the conservation of native seeds, including the provision of 20 metal silos with the capacity to store 200 pounds in each silo and 378 glass containers.

COMAL worked with local authorities in an open town hall meeting. 104 producers from 37 rural and indigenous communities were engaged in the meeting. Participants formally approved the Public Policy for the Protection of Native Seeds in the municipality of Opatoro, La Paz.

The families organized in the COMAL Network thank the donor community and GlobalGiving for being part of the protection of livelihoods in rural areas in Honduras.