Canadian support for Paraguayan rural women farmers

The Honourable Vic Toews, President of the Treasury Board, on behalf of the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, announced Canada's support of a new project that will advance the objectives of the national development program in four impoverished communities in South America. The project is Building the Capacity of Women Farmers For Their Full Participation in Rural Development. Minister Toews also met with officials from the Paraguayan government and aid organisations.

"The project supports Canada's engagement in the Americas, matching Canadian expertise with NGOs in the region. It will strengthen local communities and promote the economic sustainability of local farmers by encouraging the adoption of sustainable organic agriculture techniques," said Minister Toews.

"Canada's support will benefit women, who have an average of six children each and are their family's main source of support through subsistence farming, earning a daily income of less than one Canadian dollar a day. This project will help them successfully overcome these challenges with new skills, making a real difference in their lives," said Minister Oda. "This project reflects Canada's commitment to effectively increase its support to agriculture with demonstrable results for women and their families living in poverty."

Through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), two Canadian NGOs working with two local Paraguayan organisations in four rural impoverished communities: Caaguazu, Isla Pucu, Santa Ana, and Libertad del Sur, will benefit 30,000 people. The activities include: repairs to a water distribution system to increase access to safe drinking water; workshops on organic agricultural and business practices that will help increase production and revenues for women farmers and improve the quality of nutrition for 3,100 recipients.

Earlier in the day, Minister Toews also visited the Fernheim Coop Dairy Plant. A CIDA-funded project implemented at the dairy plant contributed to improving efficiencies of the processing plant, increasing quality standards of dairy products and achieving quality certification to improve export opportunities.