Facing reality of coffee producing farmers in northern Nicaragua : – A field study on the effects of the development program FondeAgro.

Abstract In 2001 a development program named FondeAgro was implemented in the northern region of Nicaragua with the aim to reduce poverty by rural development. During a ten-year period peasants in the departments of Jinotega and Matagalpa received expert assistance on farming in order to improve their livelihoods and create sustainable businesses as small- and medium- scale peasants. This study aims to present the reality of coffee producing farmers who participated in FondeAgro, ending in 2011. Research is made on if and how farmers continue with methods learned during the program and its effects on production- and livelihood development. Existing reports present the implementation of the program and farmers’ abilities to adapt and work with new methods, though this stretches only until the end of the program, 2011. Accordingly, there is no information on how farmers’ lives appear after the program’s end, why this research is carried through. A field study was conducted in the municipality El Cúa, department of Jinotega in northern Nicaragua in 2012. In order to visualize the complex pattern of poverty, access to or lack of capital assets the sustainable livelihoods framework is used for analysis. To further elucidate the effects of the development program and attainment of goals, a manual on development interventions by Sida is used as well. The conclusion of this research on the development program FondeAgro is that the effects of the program are positive and negative, differing mainly depending on farmers being small- or medium-scale producers. Many farmers have improved their livelihoods through their participation in FondeAgro but for some farmers there is no change to previous life situation. What seems to be decisive in order to continue with methods learned is what type of assistance that has been given to each farmer during the program years as well as possibilities to participate in cooperatives. The methods used to achieve the objectives of the program have not given the results hoped for and many farmers are still facing a future in severe poverty Keywords: Nicaragua, FondeAgro, agriculture, farmers, livelihoods, intervention