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Pink carrots from Guatemala? |
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A farmer who is supported by OPCION picks
spinach watched by his daughter
Photo: Sean Sprague/Oxfam
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OPCION is an organisation supported by Oxfam. It works with small
farmers helping them to decide the most profitable crops to grow
for sale abroad. It also helps them to improve their farming methods,
so that they can grow more on their small plots of land.
Many of the farmers are now growing 'new' vegetables, not normally
eaten in Guatemala, such as 'mini' carrots, broccoli and courgettes.
These vegetables can be grown on very small plots of land; they
grow fast and can be harvested quickly.
Mini-vegetables are very popular in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets
in the USA, and people are prepared to pay well for them.
OPCION buys the vegetables from the farmers, washes and packs them,
and flies them daily to the USA for sale. OPCION gives the farmers
a good price for their vegetables and makes sure that they get a
share of the profits.
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Meet Ismael
"Since I have been growing crops
for export, I have been able to build a house, send my children
to school, and pay off my debts. The whole family has benefited."
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