The three winners of the regional competition will receive an incentive of US$1,000 to promote their sustainable technology initiatives in the livestock sector.

October 15, 2024, Santiago de Chile. – The Platform of Latin America and the Caribbean for Climate Action on Agriculture (PLACA), whose secretariat is the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), announced the three winners of the regional 2024 competition, aimed at recognizing initiatives that promote practical and low-cost technological solutions for climate action in livestock farming. 

Among the more than 70 proposals submitted from 16 countries, and after a competitive evaluation process in which 23 evaluators from 10 countries participated, 45 initiatives were selected to become part of PLACA's technological solutions bank, based on their potential to promote sustainability and resilience in the livestock sector, contributing to the adaptation or mitigation of the effects of climate change on livestock farming.  

The jury highlighted three solutions as winners of the competition, given their major contribution to climate action, high potential for replicability at different scales and strong contribution to social inclusion, value creation and organizational development.  

"These initiatives will not only mitigate the effects of climate change, but also increase productivity and promote social inclusion by integrating local communities into sustainable processes," said Maria Mercedes Proaño, FAO Climate Finance Officer. 

Winning proposals 

This year, the three winning solutions in the regional competition stood out for their ability to address the challenges of climate change in livestock farming through innovation based on the good use of local or low-cost resources, sharing a focus on optimizing animal feed through sustainable practices, such as the use of local fodder, organic banana residues and native plants, reducing part of the costs and improving climate resilience.  

• Cindy Cristóbal, from Dominican Republic, selected for its proposal: "Circular Economy Model: Banana value chain transforming organic waste and improving the efficiency of agricultural and livestock systems by integrating sustainable practices". 
• Nadir Reyes Sánchez, from Nicaragua, stood out for the initiative: "FES-Moringa: Solid-state fermentation of sugarcane and Moringa oleifera foliage as a non-conventional protein alternative for animal feed". 
• Luz Durand, from Peru, positioned itself with the project: "Tithonia diversifolia silage: A comprehensive solution for sustainable and resilient livestock production". 

The selected projects will receive USD $1,000 each to strengthen and expand their initiatives. 

Awards Ceremony 

The awards ceremony will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 and will be open to the public. During the event, the winners will have the opportunity to present their projects and share a short video about their achievements. 

The winning initiatives will be added to PLACA´s solution bank a virtual repository that houses nearly 200 low-cost, implemented initiatives that contribute to addressing the challenges of climate change and variability.  

Promoted by the Platform's "Knowledge Management" Thematic Working Group, the bank was created to make available to all actors in the extension system a space for finding technological solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean that are low-cost, promote climate action and are sustainable over time. 

Links of interest: 

PLACA´s website  

Bank of Solutions  

Winners Regional Competition 2023 

The regional competition promoted by PLACA, which is supported by FAO, will have three winners who will receive US$1,000 to strengthen and scale their technological projects.

28/08/2024, Santiago

More than 70 applications from 16 countries were registered for the third edition of the Low-Cost Practical and Technological Solutions for Climate Action in Livestock, organized by the Platform of Latin America and the Caribbean for Climate Action on Agriculture (PLACA).

The winners will be announced on October 14, 2024, and the top three scorers will have access to USD 1,000 to strengthen their initiatives.
PLACA is a regional mechanism for voluntary collaboration that seeks to create a space for the exchange of knowledge, technologies and practices among specialists linked to the agricultural world and ministries of agriculture of the countries, with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) acting as the secretariat.

The regional competition was promoted by PLACA's Knowledge Management Thematic Working Group. The objective this year was to find innovative solutions that contribute to the adaptation and mitigation of climate change in livestock farming, through good practices in feeding, reproduction and management; management and handling of fodder and feed resources; rescue and conservation of genetic resources; treatment and use of manure and dairy waste; and comprehensive strategies for the welfare of animals, people and the environment.

The contest was attended by producers, rural advisors, academics and researchers, as well as professionals from public and private institutions from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

"The contest invites to rethink the use of common and low-cost local resources that contribute to the sustainability of livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) through adaptation and mitigation to climate change," explained Maria Mercedes Proaño, FAO Climate Finance Officer.

This initiative makes available to the actors of the extension system, knowledge and applicability of projects already implemented and that have generated a positive impact in their localities. PLACA, on its website, has a bank of practical and low-cost technological solutions, with the purpose of democratizing information that can be replicated in different territories.

This contest reinforces PLACA's commitment to climate resilience and agricultural sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting practices that not only increase productivity, but also generate social and environmental co-benefits for farmers and rural communities.

More on this topic
Contest seeks ideas to combat climate change in livestock farming in Latin America and the Caribbean
PLACA in the field: Interview with 2023 regional contest winner Richard Intriago

"PLACA's recognition has been a significant boost for our team, validating years of effort and dedication, and has inspired us to continue working with more determination" - Richard Intriago

June 6, 2024 118 projects were received in the second version of the Regional Competition "Low-cost and/or local resource-based technological solutions", organised by the Thematic Working Group on Knowledge Management of the Platform of Latin America and the Caribbean for Climate Action on Agriculture (PLACA).

The first place winner of the Regional Contest 2023 is Richard Intriago. Richard is an Agricultural Engineer, PhD. in Agroecology, researcher, farmer, ecologist, undergraduate and postgraduate teacher, writer and Ecuadorian politician. We decided to talk to him in order to learn more about his project and his experience with the Platform.

• How was the initiative to create organic bulk fertiliser biofactories to tackle the food crisis born?

The initiative to create organic fertiliser biofactories began several years ago as an effort to offer sustainable alternatives to farmers. However, it gained further momentum when the war between Russia and Ukraine led to a significant increase in agrochemical prices, leaving many farmers without the means to produce their food. This situation led us to adopt biofactories as a sustainable and economical solution, allowing farmers to access low-cost organic fertilisers and continue to produce food both for self-consumption and to supply cities.

• How did you come to the Climate Action Platform and why did you decide to apply for the Regional Competition?

We discovered the Climate Action Platform through an advertisement on social media. We decided to apply for the Regional Competition because we saw it as an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of our initiative. The theme of the call was aligned with our mission to produce food in a sustainable way in the context of the current climate crisis. We felt that our proposal was coherent and relevant to the current needs of the planet.

• Since winning the PLACA competition, what progress has your project made?

Since winning the PLACA competition, we have made significant progress. We have developed two additional biofactory prototypes with improved technology, incorporating new systems to facilitate fertiliser processing and improving their formulations. This has resulted in technology packages that provide farmers with access to high-quality organic fertilisers. In addition, we have strengthened our sustainable marketing network, ensuring that communities earn a higher percentage of income to sustain the project. We have expanded our presence in several regions of Ecuador, including the Coast, the Sierra and the Amazon, and are in discussions with communities in Colombia. In El Salvador, we are implementing a third biofactory prototype designed to be shipped anywhere in the world where it is needed.

• How has the Climate Action Platform helped with the visibility of your technology solution?

The publication of PLACA has been fundamental to increase the visibility of our project. Thanks to their support, our work has gained recognition not only in Ecuador, but also in other countries. Many organisations, institutions and communities have seen our initiative as a sustainable alternative. This has motivated numerous people to implement biofactories in their own communities. PLACA's recognition has been a significant boost for our team, validating years of effort and dedication, and has inspired us to continue working with more determination.

• What would you like to say to other researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean about continuing to work on low-cost solutions to address climate change?

To other researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean, I would tell them to focus their research on the current needs of humanity, looking for low-cost solutions to address climate change. It is crucial that our work as researchers generates practical and beneficial results for humanity. Do not falter in the process; every positive result we achieve contributes to a better future for humanity, the planet and agriculture. Perseverance in our research is key to achieving better days for all.

Registrations for the 2024 Regional Competition are open until july 30. For more information visit:

https://accionclimaticaplaca.org/en/listing/concurso-regional-2024/

The aim is to identify best practices for sustainable livestock farming, management of fodder and genetic resources, circular economy and animal health.

30 de mayo de 2024.-

La Plataforma de Acción Climática en Agricultura de Latinoamérica y el Caribe (PLACA), anunció la tercera edición del concurso Soluciones prácticas y tecnológicas de bajo costo para la acción climática en la ganadería.  

Este certamen tiene como objetivo identificar soluciones prácticas y tecnológicas que incrementen la productividad de los sistemas agroalimentarios de manera sostenible, baja en emisiones y adaptadas al cambio climático.  

“El concurso invita a repensar el uso de recursos locales habituales y de bajo costo que contribuyan a la sostenibilidad de la ganadería (bovinos, ovinos y caprinos) mediante la adaptación y a la mitigación al cambio climático”, explicó María Mercedes Proaño, Oficial Regional de Financiamiento Climático de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAO).

Los temas de la convocatoria 2024 incluyen: buenas prácticas para una ganadería sostenible (alimentación, reproducción y manejo); gestión y manejo de los recursos forrajeros y piensos; rescate, caracterización, utilización y conservación de recursos genéticos; economía circular (tratamiento y aprovechamiento de estiércoles, residuos, uso de biodigestores, residuos de lecherías); y sanidad animal con enfoque en Una Sola Salud (estrategias integrales para proteger el bienestar de los animales, las personas y el Medioambiente). 

El concurso está abierto a todos los actores del sistema de extensión, fomento, investigación y educación en los territorios rurales de la región. Esto incluye personas del ámbito de la investigación, académico, extensionista y producción que hayan implementado soluciones prácticas o tecnológicas de bajo costo y/o basadas en recursos locales en la región de América Latina y el Caribe. 

Las propuestas podrán realizarse del 30 de mayo al 30 de julio de 2024. Para consultas o más información, escribir al correo: infogtt3placa@gmail.com.

Para postular, se deben seguir los pasos y completar el formulario señalado en este enlace.