When it rains, new stalks are born in the fields and the natural order dictates that they become plants, then fruits, and finally an abundant harvest, although in recent decades the countryside has been losing that natural order, which is essential for agricultural production.

Climate change, deforestation, and human pressure on soils have changed the rules of the game in the countryside, decreasing the abundance of water sources available and making rainy seasons more unpredictable.

There is also another determining factor, especially among small farmers.  Where the resource is adequate, water is used inefficiently and small farmers end up losing their small yield.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock [Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería] has therefore deemed it essential to implement the Technified Irrigation Project [Proyecto de Irrigación Tecnificada PIT], whose main objective has been to provide technified irrigation systems across the length and breadth of Ecuador, with financial support and technical assistance from the World Bank and the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development [Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo AECID], thus allowing more than 6,000 families and 6,300 hectares to benefit from this technology.

Johannes (Hans) Jansen, senior agricultural economist at the World Bank, says that technified irrigation has changed people's lives.

He says that a man who had dairy cows told him: "Look, before, when I didn't have sprinkler irrigation, my pastures allowed for an average of maybe 6 or 7 liters of milk per cow per day.   Now that I know I can have water at certain times and in certain quantities, I can change my pastures and incorporate better pastures and a much more nutritious legume and now my cows give 15 liters a day, so I double my income.’’

"On the coast, it's the same with cocoa," adds Jansen, "they used to get 500 kilos a year to export to Italy, now they have doubled their harvest. So irrigation makes a fundamental difference, it changes these people’s lives.

A 10 km concrete canal was installed in the parish of Palo Marcado, in the Pasaje canton, province of El Oro. It carries 211 liters per second, benefiting 241 users who are mainly engaged in cocoa and banana production.

"The farm has improved with irrigation. Previously, we did not have that production, now I have seen that there is a change," says Luis Pineda, beneficiary representing the Solano Branch.

PHOTOGRAPHS

The technified sprinkler irrigation system in the community of Palo Marcado, in the Pasaje canton, in the province of El Oro, changed the lives of 37 cocoa farmers.

Cocoa production has doubled from 7 to 15 quintals per hectare per year, as a result of technified irrigation.

The PIT has technified 69.95 hectares with sprinkler irrigation using 40 l/s, in two branches.

The change is noticeable because, before, at certain times of the year, the plantation would dry out and now with the eight-day irrigation schedule, it is maintained, as it should be" - Hólger Morocho – beneficiary from the Cuenca Branch.

After harvesting the cocoa, the seeds are dried in order to grind them and produce chocolate. The members of the association purchased a hulling machine with the proceeds from the sale of cocoa.

The chocolate is sold in the local market, although many families send it to their relatives in the United States and Spain.

The molding process gives the final shape to the chocolate.

The Kakaw Agricultural Producers Association [Asociación de Productores Agrícolas Kakaw]  is proud of its chocolate.

Cristian started as a local facilitator, then was promoted to technical support professional, and is now the lead professional in the restoration process in the Charras Boquerón area in the department of Guaviare. For Cristian, "It has been a wonderful and enriching experience, as it has allowed me to gain experience, improve my professional skills and be able to contribute both to the objectives and goals of the project and to the restoration."

Under this mechanism, the technical and administrative capacity remains in the territory. The project is enriched by experts who have knowledge of the local context and enjoy the trust of the communities. In total since 2016, 2,822 people have been hired to join the project team. The modalities of recruitment and remuneration are adjusted to the nature of each role and responsibility, but thanks to the project, the supply and capacity in the local labor market has increased, as well as income sources for the communities.

The world is entering an inflection point with AI and we'll focus on channeling these breakthroughs into applications to deliver positive impact. Across Southeast Asia, women's workforce participation generally lags behind men's. When we spoke to women about being driver partners, many liked the flexibility but our concern that driving would be unsafe for them. Lily from Kuala Lumpur is a mother and grandmother. She became a Grab driver partner for the flexible work hours. She often works late in the evening, sometimes until 1:00 AM, and naturally her children worry. We hear them. Even when 99.9% of all rides on Grab take place with no safety incidents, we know that even one incident is one too many, so we continue to so we continue to double down on safety innovations. Fortunately, Cristian is not an exception. The project, through its implementation mechanisms, directly involves community, indigenous and non-indigenous leaders as team members or local service providers. These groups of people have served as local facilitators, field assistants, traditional knowledge holder, technical experts in forest use, biodiversity monitors and watchmen, as well as cooks and drivers in the territory.

ROSES, MILK AND WATER FOR PROGRESS

Another area that has benefited is the commune of La Libertad, located in the parish of Cangahua, in the Cayambe canton.  An investment of approximately US$480,000 was made there, and it serves to irrigate more than 107 hectares of pastureland, thereby significantly improving the local economy.

The lives of hundreds of people have changed because of the positive impact generated by access to water. Some testimonials from community members indicate that even the phenomenon of migration, which is very common in rural areas, has decreased because of the increased income generated by the improved production of roses for export.

SIERRA MORENA, NUEVA ESPERANZA PROJECT

In the Quito canton of the province of Pichincha, 75 families of the Sierra Morena and Nueva Esperanza Associations are already benefiting from the positive effects of technified irrigation, which has allowed them to improve milk and beef cattle production. These systems were built with an investment of US$625,000.