CIRPED’s Projects

CIRPED has worked, since 1993, to organize and empower farmer’s and community groups in rural villages to develop agricultural production systems which are self-perpetuating for crops and animals and which allow farmers to place their products on the market at all times of the year with remunerative prices. These systems are designed to allow farmers to use, entirely, renewable energy sources available in the zone while limiting external inputs and promoting sound natural resources management. CIRPED has a team of trained community organizers, representing many disciplines able to carry out its program in rural communities.

CIRPED supports farmer’s organizations through:

• Research on environmental action and natural resources protection and management;
  
  
• Rehabilitation and protection of flora and fauna;
  
  
• Restoration, protection and conservation of soils and water in order to increase the agricultural value of valleys and bas-ponds;
  
  
• Fight against erosion and crops diseases through natural means;
  
  
• Integration of agriculture and forestry;
  
  
• Training, information, education and communication on sustainable farming including organic farming, biodynamic farming and ecologic farming;
  
  
• Support of local management of village lands;
  
  
• Support for the creation of rural community banks for local savings, micro-credit and investment to promote autonomous finance for local sustainable development.

CIRPED is developing a HOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE to :

Support local communities for education on traditional and modern technologies for agricultural development, as well as for:

• Health care education, family planning, immunization and disease prevention (against AIDS, MST and malaria and other diseases which affect the welfare of agricultural communities).
  

•   Provide access to computers and the Internet (for word and data processing, access to worldwide markets, agricultural and medical information, networking among farmer’s organizations, and e-mail access for all).
  

•   Organize workshops and conferences on sustainable development (spiritual, cultural, social, health, economic, ecological and political issues).