Dominican Republic: Strengthening the banana value chain through the growth of inclusive markets
JOINT PROGRAMME QUICK FACTS
Total Budget $4,700,000
Delivery Rate
Main Achievements
- Strengthening of seven producers’ associations, increasing their institutional management capacities.
- Opening of six homework support locations with the goal of preventing child labor in banana communities.
- Design of seven web pages, one for each association, to provide market and pricing information to users.
Banana production is an important source of foreign exchange for the Dominican Republic (DR), and of employment and income in the poor provinces of the North-West and South of the country, where poverty exceeds 50 per cent. The DR’s banana exports to EU countries currently enjoy preferential trade arrangements which are in the process of being removed.
The sector is thus facing the threat of potential competition from within the EU and from major banana producing countries whose yields are double that of the DR. In addition, the sector faces further challenges from climatic risks and as a result of the international financial crisis. Productivity must therefore be increased so that the rate of return relies on competitiveness in production and commerce, rather than on preferential trading agreements. The project will help to strengthen the banana value chain by installing technology and ICTs, boosting competitiveness in production and commerce, promoting decent work and developing the community’s human and social capital through use of the inclusive markets model. It will help to achieve MDGs I, VI, VII and VIII.