Environmental policy and administrative management

Project Location:Isfehan- Fereydoun-Kenar (Lat: 36.878449;Long: 50.718384) In the SGP project entitled Farmers Empowerment to Sustainable Agro-Ecosystem Management in Mazandaran Province (IRA-G52-2002-019) the farmers were empowered with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques and have been producing safe crops. This project will assist the farmers to establish appropriate mechanisms to market the safe crops. The farmers trained in SGP project No.19 have formed a local group entitled Dorna Local Organization with a Revolving Trust Fund to support production of crops using IPM methods. The project activities are: 1-selecting a specific distribution center and establishing mechanisms for collecting and testing the IPM produced crop 2-training in packaging and marketing the safe crops, 3-producing advocacy material for the safe crops, 4-participating in national agro-exhibitions 5-marketing safe products for niche markets (after testing product for pesticide residue and monitoring that non-IPM crops are not sold under this banner) 6-about half of the grant is to be used as a Revolving Trust Fund and the farmers will contribute 500,000Rials ($55) for every 1 ton IPM produced rice which is sold through the mechanism established in this project.

Iran