Annual Report #01: MERCADO

MERCADO is a direct follow-on activity to USAID-ACCESO, aiming to deliver successful interventions in agriculture, health, and nutrition for at least 15,000 client households in three departments of the dry corridor of Honduras. The program utilizes and expands the whole-systems approach developed under USAID-ACCESO at farm, household, and community levels to target multiple causes of poverty, food insecurity, and health issues. The program's initial activities focused on transitioning client households and communities from USAID-ACCESO to MERCADO. A total of 8,286 household clients were transitioned, and an additional 1,528 new household clients were incorporated during the first year. In-field technical assistance and training began immediately, with a focus on agricultural sector productivity and food security. A total of 9,817 individuals received training, consisting of 7,906 men and 1,911 women. Production accounted for the highest percentage (73 percent), followed by animal production (8 percent) and business skills (7 percent). MERCADO's implementation approach is centered on several key components, including poverty reduction, client selection, and critical assumptions. The program aims to increase inclusive agricultural sector growth, improve nutritional status, especially for women and children, and promote cross-cutting areas such as gender integration and natural resource management. The program's management structure includes a transition and mobilization plan, staffing plan, management reports and deliverables, and monitoring and evaluation. The program's goals and objectives are focused on increasing agricultural productivity, improving market demand and access, increasing investment in agriculture and employment opportunities, and improving access to financial services. MERCADO also aims to improve nutritional status, especially for women and children, through improved access to diverse and quality food and nutrition-related behaviors, community and household sanitation and hygiene, and utilization of maternal and child health and nutrition services. The program's cross-cutting areas include gender integration, natural resource management, activity promotion and field visits, and collaboration with USG-funded activities. MERCADO's planned activities for the next quarter include continued implementation of the program's goals and objectives, with a focus on increasing agricultural productivity, improving market demand and access, and improving access to financial services. The program's success stories and non-expendable property report are also included in the annexes.