Supporting child health and education
How an association of açaí producers is providing child-related social services for its members, partner suppliers and Indigenous Peoples.
Children from the community have a nursery where they can spend time while their parents work on the açaí harvest (Photo: Daniela Claros Velez/FAO)
AAGROPAMA (Asociación Agropecuaria de Productores Amazónicos de Majo y Asaí Buen Retiro – Agricultural Association of Amazonian Producers of Majo and Asaí Buen Retiro) is located in the northern Bolivian Amazon. AAGROPAMA’s members are from a rural community, comprising 20 families who purchase açaí palm from 30 communities across five municipalities in the departments of Beni and Pando.
AAGROPAMA identified the need to provide social services to improve the living conditions of its members and partner suppliers, as well as to extend services to Indigenous Peoples in vulnerable situations.
Forest and Farm Facility activities
Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) support has provided equipment for AAGROPAMA’s açaí processing plant, assistance with operating permits and labelling, as well as support for social services.
In early 2025, AAGROPAMA built and equipped a children’s nursery to provide a safe space for the community’s youngest children during the açaí harvest and processing season. It hired a teacher to look after and teach the children, and provided a medical clinic with a basic stock of medicines, staffed by a healthcare professional.
AAGROPAMA has also expanded its network of suppliers and has begun working in the Indigenous territories of the Cavineños, Chácobo and Pacahuara Indigenous Peoples. It provides training in açaí harvesting, with the aim of generating income for families.
During these visits, the organisation brings a mobile nursery so children can be looked after and entertained while their parents attend training sessions. As a result, in 2025 these Indigenous Peoples sold over 12,000kg of fruit to AAGROPAMA and now hope to become supplier partners during the next harvest season.
In addition to purchasing their products, AAGROPAMA sends a medical team to these areas to provide care for the Indigenous Peoples, who face health issues and food insecurity due to a lack of income.
Significance of impact
AAGROPAMA is now further developing strategies to ensure the sustainability of these services. For the nursery, it is considering charging a minimal fee for maintenance and using the organisation’s funds to cover operational costs. For healthcare, AAGROPAMA has decided to continue employing the healthcare professional, the cost of which will be financed by a percentage of profits from the sale of açaí pulp and milk.
FFF support has also enabled AAGROPAMA to strengthen the açaí value chain, supplying pulp to the Bolivian Food Company (Empresa Boliviana de Alimentos) and the breastfeeding subsidy scheme. They provide a volume of over 70 tonnes of açaí pulp annually, generating more income for their members and partner suppliers.
Through these markets, AAGROPAMA has expanded its coverage area to reach around 47 rural communities and Indigenous groups in Beni and Pando, families who are not only suppliers of raw materials but also receive technical assistance and social services.
Conclusion
With FFF support, AAGROPAMA has become one of the most important organisations in the region. It has enabled AAGROPAMA to provide essential social services to its members, partner suppliers and to expand them to vulnerable Indigenous Peoples, improving livelihoods and wellbeing.
Further reading
News: Bolivian producers build skills in climate resilience, Forest and Farm Facility (2025)