This is the story of a family of smallholder farmers in Mexico. They wake up very early in the morning to start farm activities. They have a biodigester, this biodigester not only produces renewable energy but it also produces a very potent biofertilizer. The family does not use all the fertilizer they produce (an average of 1000 litres per week) which is why they collect it and bring it to the Biol Collection Center of IRRI Mexico and Sistema.bio whose main objective is to enhance food security in the region.

Over 820 million people are chronically food insecure and malnourished. IRRI Mexico and Sistema.bio have been working with smallholder farmers in the region of Yucatan, Mexico since 2012 installing biodigesters and training locals to take advantage of the benefits of this technology and promote food security. There are 376 biodigesters in Yucatan and now we are working on the Biol Collection Center KA MUUK LU UM (meaning in second earth force in Maya language), this center is created as a space designated for the collection, study, and improvement of biofertilizer, its treatment, its composition, application, and management.

Over 820 million people are chronically food insecure and malnourished. IRRI Mexico and Sistema.bio have been working with smallholder farmers in the region of Yucatan, Mexico since 2012 installing biodigesters and training locals to take advantage of the benefits of this technology and promote food security. There are 376 biodigesters in Yucatan and now we are working on the Biol Collection Center KA MUUK LU UM (meaning in second earth force in Maya language), this center is created as a space designated for the collection, study, and improvement of biofertilizer, its treatment, its composition, application, and management.

The biofertilizer produced by the biodigester works also as a pesticide and floor restorer making possible for farmers and their families have access to what FAO defines as food security, “that every person all the time can have physical, social and economic access to enough food, secure and nutritious to be able to fulfill their dietary needs and cultural preferences and to be able to carry out an active and healthy life”.

Before Sistema.bio and IRRI Mexico worked in Yucatan there were a lot of farmers using chemical fertilizers because they didn’t have any other alternative. Now  75% of the farmers trained by IRRI and Sistema.bio have increased crops volume and quality, 71% of them are not using chemical fertilizers anymore, saving an average of 75 USD. As the project keeps growing the goal is that more and more farmers change to organic agriculture protecting the earth producing more in a more sustainable way achieving the 2nd sustainable global goal of food security and zero hunger.

With this project farmers can defend their own practices and lives, they don’t need to depend on fertilizers anymore.