Community Farmers Transform Local Economy & Health

Amidst heavy rainfalls in Honduras in the past three months, the COMAL network has actively progressed in the development of an additional eco-friendly panela granulada (natural cane sugar) processing plant in central Honduras’s Lake Yojoa area.

During this period, the COMAL technical team, the regional committee in the Lake Yojoa area and local cane growers completed the identification of the physical site for building the new plant. This extensive process required considerable travel, consultations with the growers, review of legalities and discernment regarding environmental and economic viability. At the same time, COMAL’s project promoter and the rural social enterprise EAC EL Milagro evaluated the infrastructure in that plant, which is to serve as a model for the new installations, and identified and responded to its needs.

Noteworthy achievements include:

• Initiation of purchasing process of 3.5 acres of land available to serve three cooperatives in future plant construction
• Extensive conversations with community members who have identified the willingness and need for the incorporation of youth returning from living abroad into the process and seeking social and economic opportunities
• Realization of a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats] with 15 cooperative representatives
• Installation of a water system at the processing plant El Milagro, using 135 PVC tubes
• The preparation of a business plan for the productive and commercial development of small-scale cane producers in the Lake Yojoa basin 
• A strategic alliance established with the University of ESADE Spain for technical advice on sugarcane processing, benefitting from experienced professionals in the field and providing internships for university students
• Strengthening of the principles of economic solidarity among participants

             The community of growers and the COMAL network thank GlobalGiving and its donors!