Ministry of Economic Development and the Village Council of Hopkins signs Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Agreement

Published by BBNTEAM at October 11, 2023

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Posted: Wednesday, October 11, 2023. 9:10 am CST.

Government of Belize Press Release

On October 4, 2023, the Ministry of Economic Development through the Project Management Unit (PMU) responsible for the RRB and the Village Council of Hopkins signed a Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Agreement in support of a proposed project by the Hopkins Farmers’ Co-operative Society Limited to improve their climatic and economic resiliency.

Resilient Rural Belize is a government program that aims to improve the climatic and economic resiliency of rural communities by strengthening their organizational and entrepreneurial capacity of producer organizations, supporting their adoption of climate smart farming practices, improving their productivity, and sustained access to markets.

The Hopkins Farmers’ Co-operative is a producer organization based in Hopkins in existence since 1983. The co-operative operates on a parcel of land held in common in the village of Hopkins. The co-operative proposed a project to improve its production of vegetables to RRB. After a consultation process and with the consent of the village of Hopkins through the village leaders, a consent agreement is being signed today – 4th of October, 2023 to pave the way for project implementation.

The main address for the event was given by the Hon. Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport, Youth and Sports and the Area Representative. Present for the signing of the consent agreement were members of the Hopkins Village Council, Leaders of the Hopkins Co-op and witnessed by Hon. Rodwell Ferguson and Dr. Geraldo Flowers, Programme Manager for the Resilient Rural Belize. Also present at the ceremony was Mr. Paolo Silveri, Country Director for IFAD. This is the first FPIC agreement signed with a Garifuna community in Belize.

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