Transition Areas
Fair Energetics
- Alternative energy supply
- Energy efficiency
- Changing patterns of use and consumption
- Energy access for local communities
As a way to generate economic income for the communities affected by the Hidroituango project, the production of handmade hot sauces called “Chilitos del Mundo” (Chilitos of the World) was started. In their production, the spices were dried in an electric oven, so it was decided to replace this technology with a handmade solar dryer built by the participating family.
Subsequently, the family wanted to integrate new elements to their proposal, so they began a survey of plants that were disappearing in order to promote their planting and prevent their extinction; at the same time, they began to investigate their medicinal potential. This process resulted in a new product called “Aromáticas del río”, which consists of 9 preparations of dehydrated aromatic herbs that can also be marketed and whose added value is their drying process through a solar dehydrator.
Technical characteristics of the proposal
The dehydrator consists of greenhouse type plastics, nets to place the plants and wood for the structure.
Its total volume is 0.2 cubic meters.
Original videos by: Sunflower Family / SETAA Communities – Sowers of Territories, Waters and Autonomies.
Productive, community, environmental, or economic processes or activities that were positively impacted by the implementation of the community experience of TEJ.
The experience encouraged planting and production for self-consumption and made possible the commercialization of cleanly produced products that also have components that strengthen the immune system, since they counteract and prevent flu, gastritis, prostate problems, menstrual pain, improve the functioning of the colon and provide vital energy. It also made possible the commercialization of plants in bulk.
Beneficiaries of the experience
1 family consisting of: 1 man and 1 woman
Achievements and problems encountered during implementation
ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Technology generated added value to the products.
- It was built directly by the family that implemented it.
- Other individuals and farmer organizations were encouraged to implement similar systems.
- The use of low-cost technologies was promoted.
PROBLEMS:
- The ants got in to eat the elderberry leaves; it is a problem that has not been overcome.
- Initially the dehydrator was installed with a black plastic film, but contrary to popular belief, this type of plastic does not improve performance, but slows down the drying process.
Women’s participation in the TEJ community experience
The initiative to recover plants and market them was the woman’s idea and it was this that collectively led to the construction of the dehydrator, in which both she and her partner participated, from the purchase of the materials to the implementation.
Impact of the community experience of TEJ on public policy
The family is part of an environmental and social process in which alternatives are constantly being visualized to improve the living conditions of the community. The experience they had as a couple motivated other families to become interested in the use of alternative energies that make possible conditions of permanence in the territory and improve local economies.
One of these cases was the use of ahuyama seeds in the drying process for subsequent marketing.
Social networks / experience contact
@delaguaydelatierra
@delagua&delatierra