Aninver supporting smallholder farmers in Panama with sustainable and inclusive growth
Panama’s government has hired an international consulting firm to support the delivery of the so-called PIASI program, a multi-year initiative aimed at strengthening the sustainability of Panama’s SME agricultural sector.
The overall objective of the program is to improve food security and increase the income of smallholder farmers through sustainable and inclusive agricultural innovation. To achieve this, the Proyecto de Innovación Agropecuaria Sostenible e Inclusivo (PIASI) has identified three key areas of focus.
The first is boosting inclusive market innovation, which involves supporting farmers and rural youth in developing business and market innovation plans, reducing post-harvest losses, and improving access to higher-value value chains. The second is promoting the use of more sustainable farming practices, such as agroecological and climate-resilient systems.
Technology is the third pillar – PIASI aims to establish a set of digital monitoring and data-driven tools to support decision-making at both the sectoral and micro levels, enhancing productivity and the long-term sustainability of the sector.
The PIASI program focuses on smallholder and family farmers, who form the backbone of rural economies in Panama but often face limited access to markets, technical assistance, and technology.
The importance of agriculture
The PIASI program is of strategic relevance for Panama, as the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the nation’s economy and employment landscape. Latest data show that the sector employs around 14.7% of the total workforce, highlighting its importance for livelihoods, and contributes approximately 2.6% of Panama’s gross development product.
Agriculture also plays a key role in supporting local food security, with most of Panama’s produce consumed domestically, particularly staples like maize, rice, plantains, and vegetables. Key export products include bananas, shrimp, and pineapples.
Against a backdrop of challenges such as climate change, deforestation, and soil degradation, which threaten long-term productivity and food security, Panama’s government has acknowledged the need to promote more sustainable farming practices.
The ambition
Led by the Instituto de Innovación Agropecuaria de Panamá (IDIAP) and financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the PIASI program will operate primarily in the western provinces of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, and the Comarca Ngäbe Buglé – regions with strong agricultural potential but also high levels of multidimensional poverty and vulnerability to climate impacts..
Supporting IDIAP with program delivery is Aninver, a consulting firm headquartered in Spain with a strong track record of implementing economic, social development, and sustainability projects worldwide, including in Latin America.
Supporting over 5,000 smallholder farmers
Over the next 27 months, Aninver will assist more than 5,000 smallholder farmers in transitioning to sustainable, agroecological systems that enhance productivity while preserving natural resources. The firm’s experts will also train local professionals to serve as ‘field facilitators’, delivering training programs to strengthen community leadership and promote youth engagement in rural development.
Aninver will further bring global best practices in rural farming to Panama and facilitate innovation processes through demonstration farms and learning platforms that encourage peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among producers.
Another key mandate is to strengthen local institutions and knowledge systems, enhancing coordination among government agencies, farmers’ organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the agricultural innovation ecosystem.
The project kicked off this quarter, with the Aninver team already on the ground, meeting with local stakeholders, smallholder farmers, and project partners.
