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Peru farming project named finalist in BBC-Newsweek competition

By Mario Sandoval

(10/12/2010)Sierra Productiva, a federation of farmers' groups that started in Cusco, Peru, has been selected as one of the ten finalists in the World Challenge 2010.

Now in its sixth year, World Challenge is a global competition aimed at finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grassroots level. World Challenge is sponsored by BBC World News and Newsweek, in association with Royal Dutch Shell and is about championing and rewarding projects and businesses which really make a difference.

Sierra Productiva is promoting "Yachachiq”, the Inca name for people who pass on knowledge, in order to improve the lot of small farmers in Peru. At elevations of 4,000 meters (over 12,000 feet) and on precipitous slopes, "improvement" is a formidable undertaking. But through the Yachachiq the campesinos are learning organic techniques to dramatically boost production from both livestock and crops. The main technology has been harnessing of springs and the use of drip irrigation systems, freeing the farmers from dependence on rainfall that gave them only one harvest a year.

As a World Challenge finalist, Sierra Productiva has been profiled on BBC World News in a 30 minute program (see also video below). You can vote for the Sierra Productiva project on this website. Voting will close at midnight (GMT) on Nov. 12 2010.

The Winner and two runners up of World Challenge will be announced in an awards ceremony held in the Netherlands. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on 4th December 2010 on BBC World News and announced on the World Challenge website on the same day and profiled in Newsweek magazine in the Dec. 21 issue which will be on sale on Dec. 14 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgsU_oR-8PE