The Ojoche nut used to be the main food ingredient of pre-Colombian civilizations in Nicaragua. It is highly nutritious, can be prepared in different ways and has a nice taste, but today it is practically unknown.
The tree that grows the nut can be found in the forests of Chinandega, a department at the pacific coast of Nicaragua that has suffered economic, environmental and health care crises due to the disappearance of cotton production and the effects of agro-chemicals used in the banana plantations. Moreover, it is a region with food security problems and low agro-industrial growth.
For these reasons, the Nicaraguan NGO Equilibrium Fund decided to set up a project with women from poor rural areas aimed at harvesting the naturally grown Ojoche nut and industrializing it to create an economic benefit. Moreover, they want to raise awareness regarding the social, cultural, environmental and human health values of the nut.
ICCO, the Dutch NGO that was asked to finance the project, commissioned a feasibility study of the project.
Credit
Marije van Lidth de Jeude with Alexandra Tuinstra for CDR – ULA (Centre for Rural Development studies of the Free University of Amsterdam): "Proyecto Industrialización de El Ojoche en Nicaragua: Propuesta para la Elaboracion del Plan de Negocios y Recomendaciones de CDR-ULA".
Presented to ICCO by The Equilibrium Fund. Nicaragua, 2006.