Strengthening the capacities of coffee-growing communities.

Strengthening the capacities of coffee-growing communities.

Within the framework of the "Development of capacities of Coffee producers as local leaders in the Frailesca region of Chiapas, Mexico" project, in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance and OFI-Mexico, two training workshops were carried out.

The first workshop was aimed at strengthening organizational and management processes, with representatives of coffee working-groups from the municipality of Villa Corzo. The second was held in order to disseminate planning and training methodologies, with members of the technical team of support to coffee farmers.

The workshop with working groups was attended by representatives of Ejido Villahermosa and Rancheria Nueva Argentina who, using the learning-by-doing methodology, tested techniques to facilitate group participation, wrote mission-vision, and reflected on the basic organizational structure and conflict management.

The workshop with the technical team had the participation of five members of OFI-Mexico. The capacitation was aimed at designing training plans to strengthen technical accompaniment. Some of the developed topics were the detection of training needs, definition of the learning purpose, learning results and evaluation criteria.

In general, there was a very good turnout. However, it was commented that it would be necessary to continue the process of formation of the working groups and technical team to ensure the organizational strengthening of the groups and even the possible formalization in a legal figure.