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Rural Market Opportunities in the Gulf of Fonseca

Inclusive economic growth can break the cycle of poverty and social marginalisation in the Dry Corridor where the Gulf of Fonseca region is located. Agriculture is seen as the priority sector where efforts to address productivity, market and infrastructure issues are concentrated. Similarly, non-agricultural economic activities provide opportunities, as they generate a vigorous and diversified local economy.  The Rural Market Opportunities Project in the Gulf of Fonseca contributes to the inclusive local economic development of 33 municipalities located in the region, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations, women and youth; specifically focusing on improving productivity and income.  
invalid
Valle Department, Honduras
13.545236
-87.570026
Honduras
Project duration
2017 - 2022
Financed by
  • Global Affairs Canada

The project

The “Rural Market Opportunities in the Gulf of Fonseca” project is sponsored by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Swisscontact. It addresses entrenched poverty and low economic productivity in the Dry Corridor by enabling rural MSMEs, including agricultural producers, to take full advantage of the agricultural and non-agricultural market opportunities available to them. 
The project approach to rural private sector development, is to build strength throughout the local economic system – supporting small businesses to operate more efficiently and effectively; helping them gain access to and meet the demands of local, national and export markets; and fostering an enabling environment that is conducive to their success and sustainability of the businesses. It will also link local economic development plans to broader regional and national strategies to harmonise efforts and make them more efficient. The project will reach 7460 people and their households. 

Objectives

The project is expected to have achieved three intermediate outcomes:

  • Improved business, technical and/or financing practices by small-scale enterprises, especially those led by or mainly employing women, youth and/or marginalized people living in poverty
  • Increased productivity and sales by small-scale enterprises and producers, especially those led by or mainly employing women, youth and/or marginalized people living in poverty
  • Strengthened entrepreneurial ecosystem in the municipalities with local and regional organisations and networks of entrepreneurs.

Highlighted activities

  • Development of technical and administrative capacities of the target population
  • Increased access to new markets.
  • Strengthening of local platforms for social and economic development
  • Competitive and business performance-related competitions.
  • Local, national and international fairs.
  • Development of new financial products.
  • Development of business models.
  • Development of new economic business development services.

 

Project partners

  • Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock
  • Secretariat of Economic Development
  • CDEMIPYME
  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the South CCIS
  • Technological University of Honduras UTH
  • Centro Universitario del Litoral Pacífico CURLP
  • Honduran Institute of Tourism IHT

Expected results

  • to improve business, technical and/or financing practices by small-scale enterprises, especially those led by or mainly employing women, youth and/or marginalized people living in poverty;  
  • to increase productivity and sales by small-scale enterprises and producers, especially those led by or mainly employing women, youth and/or marginalized people living in poverty; and  
  • to strengthen support within the local economic development system for small-scale enterprises and producers, especially those led by or mainly employing women, youth and/or marginalized people living in poverty.  

Project links

News

View all news from Rural Market Opportunities in the Gulf of Fonseca
Honduras
Entrepreneurial ecosystems, Continuing Vocational Education and Training, Initial vocational education and training, Sustainable agriculture
08.11.2022
Rural Market Opportunities: a project that impacted more than 7500 women, youth and men in the Gulf of Fonseca region
In its five years of implementation, the project Rural Market Opportunities in the Gulf of Fonseca impacted the lives of more than 7500 women, youth and men in Honduras. 
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Honduras
Sustainable agriculture, Entrepreneurial ecosystems
07.11.2022
Agricultural technologies to reduce the workload of female cashew farmers
Swisscontact studied gender gaps in the cashew value chain in Honduras in order to empower women in agriculture and improve their livelihoods. Thanks to the introduction of new technologies, 60 female cashew farmers in the south of the country were able to reduce their heavy workload tending to their plots and make better use of their time.
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Honduras
06.09.2022
Facilitated access to finance to promote entrepreneurship
Getting a credit is not easy in Honduras; many people are excluded from the banking system because they have limited financial education and credit history. The Horus Entrepreneurship Fund supports its members through financing so that they can obtain equipment to create and/or strengthen their businesses.
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