Launching of the Field School in La Joya Penitentiary Centre, an opportunity for those deprived of liberty

The project "Support to the formulation of Appropriate Mitigation Actions in Central American Agriculture" launches a Field School in La Joya Penitentiary Centre

Panama, 20 May 2021 - The project "Support to the formulation of Appropriate Mitigation Actions in Central American Agriculture" of the Resilient Food Production sector of the EUROCLIMA+ Programme launched a new Field School (ECA) at the La Joya Prison, with the participation of the Ambassador of the European Union in Panama, the Minister of Government and Justice, the Minister of Agricultural Development, and the IICA Representative in Panama. New rice cultivation techniques will be taught to the inmates.

Joining our efforts to facilitate projects like this is important for the EU to promote more sustainable agriculture, which is key for the future of our planet, agriculture and farmers play a strategic role at a global level to ensure our food security, but also the mitigation of the effects of climate change, conservation and biodiversity, prevention of natural disasters and recovery of a greener, bluer economy, said Chris Leo Clark Hoornaert, Ambassador of the European Union in Panama.

At IICA we are committed, we believe that throughout the Americas agriculture is the main historical activity of humanity which will continue so that we can all have food three times a day, we must make a strong and powerful agriculture in Panama, what we are seeing today is a sign not only of producing, but also of training new young people who today, deprived of freedom, will find freedom knowing that they can produce, see the light and a way to make amends, knowing that the first activity of humanity was agriculture, said Gerardo Escudero-Representative of IICA.

Thanks to the European Union and IICA for the support, who united for the welfare of one planet, working for the sustainability of the environment, for low carbon production, to maintain our renewable resources permanently for the benefit of society. This initiative to break the sixth frontier gives those deprived of liberty the opportunity to reintegrate into society through agriculture. Augusto Valderrama-Minister of Agricultural Development said.

We have received the initiative of this project with great pleasure, united we are going to work for a better planet earth, where our prisoners in the La Joya complex, which represents one of the largest prison populations in the country, join us, they have become the stars of this programme, we aim to give them a new opportunity that when they finish their time in the prison, they can say that they have a new working life as farmers. Janaina Tewanay-Minister of Government and Justice said.

Launch of the Field School in La Joya Prison Centre

The launch of the ECA was chaired by His Excellency Chris Leo Clark Hoornaert Ambassador of the European Union in Panama, Janaina Tewanay-Minister of Government and Justice, Augusto Valderrama-Minister of Agricultural Development, Gerardo Escudero Columna-Representative of IICA in Panama, representatives of the French Embassy, Ministry of Environment, Institute of Agricultural Marketing, Institute of Agricultural Innovation, Directors of the Penitentiary Centre, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.

With the implementation of the ECA in La Joya, it will be possible to provide the project with a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reading in a traditional plot and in the plot of the activities proposed in the NAMA for rice for the period of the rice cycle. There will be the participation of 20 pre-selected prisoners, who will have the opportunity to learn to be pest monitors (weeds, diseases and insects) to adjust the applications of pesticides and herbicides according to critical economic levels, to promote the use of seeds resistant to climatic changes at an appropriate and recommended density, as well as practices in the analysis of the results of soil samples under the technical coordination of MIDA, IDIAP and IICA.

It is worth mentioning that this is a new action in the project, which is the resocialisation of prisoners by teaching them new rice production techniques that are resilient to climate change and mitigate GHG emissions.

About the project "Support to the formulation of Appropriate Mitigation Actions in Central American Agriculture".

"Support to the formulation of Appropriate Mitigation Actions in Central American Agriculture" of the Resilient Food Production sector of the EUROCLIMA+ programme jointly implemented by GIZ and Expertise France with funding from the European Union.

The project aims to strengthen regional and national capacities to achieve public-private ownership and consensus on the achievement of mitigation targets in Panama (rice) and El Salvador (cattle), catalysing mitigation and cooperation actions between Central American countries towards low-carbon development as defined in the Sustainable Agriculture Strategy for Climate Adapted Agriculture (EASAC) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Project implemented by the IICA office in El Salvador and Panama and co-executed by the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) in Panama and the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) in El Salvador.

About IICA

It is the international organisation specialised in agriculture of the Inter-American System, whose mission is to stimulate, promote and support the efforts of its 34 Member States to achieve agricultural development and rural well-being through international technical cooperation of excellence.

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Photo caption 1: Gerardo Escudero, IICA Representative in Panama; Chris Hoornaert, Ambassador of the European Union in Panama; Janaina Tewaney, Minister of Government and Justice; Augusto Valderrama, Minister of Agricultural and Livestock Development.