Aquaculture Farmer
Lisa Steurer/ GIZ
Farmer Interest Groups
Farmer Intereste Group meeting
GIZ
Neighboring farmers meet regularly to share information and best practices on diversified aquaculture production. They buy seedlings as a group to be more cost-efficient, and grant loans to the farmer most in need. The loan is given on a yearly basis with a fixed interest rate and financed by the group’s membership fee.
- Farmers who are willing to participate
- Staff time for facilitation
Establishing the first group took extensive time due to farmers’ reluctance to trust facilitated group formation. Presenting proven benefits of Interest Groups and providing incentives for trainings (building block 3) convinced farmers to join. Members of the first Farmer Interest Groups served as example and facilitated the formation of additional groups. Involving farmers who operate mangrove aquaculture ponds outside the buffer zone proved successful for disseminating success stories. This convinced a number of farmers to join Farmer Interest Groups and plant mangroves in their pond, thereby increasing the overall forest cover and pond resilience.