Mountain Innovation

28/04/2020

Ally Mishky, Peru: Young entrepreneurs in sustainable mountain agriculture

Huari Province, Peru

In rural Peru, 30 percent or more of the population lives in poverty. But in Huari, a small province of Ancash in the northern Andes where Ally Mishky is located, 70 percent of people live in such difficulty. This makes Huari a hotspot for migration and dissolution of rural communities, threatening the extinction of local traditional knowledge and the area’s agricultural biodiversity. Every year, many young farmers leave to migrate to urban areas in search of a better life. 

Ally Mishky was born in Huari in 2009 as social project of REDAR PERU, an NGO focusing on a rural agribusiness school and a member of the Mountain Partnership. After 10 years, they went from lacking basic utilities such as electricity and water to launching a natural products company with a fully functional processing plant. 

Ally Mishky promotes respect for the environment, farmers and consumers by providing healthy and high quality mountain food products. They maintain biodiversity by rescuing  under cultivated fruits and crops that had disappeared from local diets, turning them into products to sell at several markets. They also support the local economy through job opportunities; Their team is made up of mostly locals, and many graduated from REDAR's agribusiness school.

Their most recent innovative project is based on creating a circular economy. In 2019, they started using a new agroecology module of farming, cultivating the land close to the centre to use the processing plant's organic waste as a fertilizer. The results are fantastic - the soil is much richer and the crops will grow stronger while also eliminating waste.

You can find out more about Ally Mishky and purchase their products on their Facebook page.

COVID-19 UPDATE: Despite the difficult times, REDAR Peru won the CONCURSO NACIONAL DE PREMIACIÓN A LA CALIDAD DE LOS PROYECTOS DE INNOVACIÓN AGRARIA from the Ministry to make their agri-school virtual as well as a seed fund. Here is their contribution video for the virtual agribusiness school.

They also have a new website https://www.alimentojusto.com/.

Fundacion CoMunidad, Panama & Parsons School of Design, New York City: An Innovative Collaboration

Panama & New York, New York

An alliance between Mountain Partnership member Fundación CoMunidad, the mountain people of La Yeguada in Panama and the Parson School of Design has led to income-generating opportunities for local communities in Panama through a sustainable approach to developing agro-ecosystems.

The partnership investigatated how design can increase the diversification of agro-ecosystems through the use of a wider range of plant-based materials. Students developed a proposal to cultivate a range of native Panamanian plants that provide fibres and dyes.

As a secondary source of revenue, they came up with an innovative plan to design creative household products using a blend of non-timber forest resources and waste from timber cut-offs, making hand-made items such as salt-pepper shakers.

#NotBusinessAsUsual: Outlook Responsible Tourism India's Response to COVID-19

North Kerala, India

In normal times on the grounds of Neeleshwar Hermitage in North Kerala roam peacocks and peahens. Nowadays, you will not find them in the grounds but at the hotel’s empty reception waiting for new guests who will not arrive as the hotel, like all hotels and homestays in India, is closed due to Covid-19.

“We have recalibrated our plans. We are expecting zero income from tourism activities this year and will be focusing on community. We had a contingency plan in place and have ensured money will not be an immediate concern. Now is the time to focus on destination and partnerships an make operations stronger,” says Paras Loomba, Founder of Ladakh and the Greater Himalayan Region focused impact tourism company and Mountain Partnership member Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE).

Training and upskilling the team is a common theme. “At this point since there is no work coming in, we will be investing in people. Doing training sessions online and creating an ecosystem for people to share ideas,” says Harshvardhan Tanwar, Founder of Mumbai-based experiential travel and walking tours company No Footprints.

Companies like GHE have always had a diversified income stream. With tourism taking a hit, the venture is focusing on the communities it works with. "We are also exploring other ways the community can earn income, like setting up greenhouses. We are focusing on community and destination and looking at projects that help in these areas, so we are setting up solar water heaters for all our partner homestays' says Paras of GHE. 

Others are using social media to increase awareness of the destination they represent. Experiential travel and walking tours companies like The Local Beat and Make It Happen are putting up fun posts about Goa that travellers can explore after the lockdowns and quarantines.

Source: Outlook Responsible Tourism India