The Association for Agricultural Community Development and Diversification (ADDAC) is a non-profit NGO, founded in 1989 whose mission is to improve the living standard of poor rural families engaged in small/medium scale farming in marginal areas to the north of Nicaragua. The main purpose of the ADDAC's approach is to develop and strengthen local capacity to analyse problems and find solutions for rural sustainable development. There are five main components
- Food security and productive development, including technological improvement and diversification within traditional crop cultivation and extension of alternative agricultural land use practices
- support to farmer's organisation
- Promotion of gender equality
- Identification of alternatives in marketing and
- Provision of an alternative credit system for farming.
These fields of activities are based on the principles of organic agriculture and a powerful training process - using the methodology of 'popular education' which involves participatory training and extension activities.
ADDAC initiates it work in communities through PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) - evaluating problems and potential solutions. These serve as a base for the formulation of project proposals which are then submitted to interested financing organizations. Further steps include participatory planning and later evaluation in collaboration with land users. For execution of activities ADDAC contracts an interdisciplinary crew of specialists, which stays in the area. Twice a year a participatory reunion is organized to evaluate and accordingly improve the activities. Key to the approach is the formation of grassroots organisation in each community to guarantee local management, build up alternative enterprises and promote community development. These organizations consist of representatives of local support groups and farmers with leading role in SWC application and extension. The organizations have various functions during the lifetime of a project, they are the counterparts of the extensionists for project execution and later they ensure the sustainability of activities. Farmer's association are formed to improve storage and marketing of crops. Networks of local promoters exchange experience between communities and consolidate extension of alternative technologies. Demonstration farms serve as a tool for technology extension, innovation as well as validation.
