The project area is located in the country’s western regions, including all districts of the Ngöbe-Buglé comarca (indigenous territory) and 12 neighbouring districts of the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí and Veraguas.
 
Indigenous peoples in the project area are mainly subsistence farmers, while non-indigenous groups practice a mix of subsistence and market-oriented agriculture. Production and productivity are low because of limited productive assets, environmental and soil degradation and lack of productive support services.

The project’s overall goal is sustainable improvement of the economic and social conditions of the indigenous communities and other poor small-scale farmers. Its objective is to improve disadvantaged people’s economic and social integration and their access to marketing opportunities in agriculture and microenterprises, and to labour markets, at local, regional and national levels.

The project works to:

• develop and strengthen human and social resources through education and training
• strengthen poor people’s productive, market and labour links
• promote rational use and conservation of natural resources
• promote a gender-balanced approach
• improve the government institutional framework and enhance its capacity for poverty reduction and rural development

Through a rural investment fund, the project provides financial resources for demand-based improvements to local communities and their organizations, and to small-scale agricultural producers and non-agricultural producers and women’s and youth groups. Through education and training programmes, the project addresses the huge gender disparities affecting indigenous women.

Source: IFAD