Mitigation co-benefits of perennial crop expansion, soil management, and livestock improvements in ACCESO in Honduras

Implemented by Fintrac Inc. from 2011 to 2015, ACCESO worked in six departments of western Honduras: Intibucá, La Paz, Ocotepeque, Lempira, Copán, and Santa Bárbara. The project provided technical assistance and training at the household and community levels to increase capacity in agricultural production, marketing, postharvest, and value-added processing. ACCESO supported the introduction of improved production practices, including perennial crop expansion, soil management, and livestock improvements. The project's focus on sustainable intensification led to improved crop yields, with increases ranging from 67% to 259% depending on the value chain. Fertigation delivered nutrients at 95% efficiency, increasing agricultural productivity. ACCESO's effective yield improvements for all agricultural crops would have required almost 50,000 ha more land to reach the same production using conventional practices. The project's impact on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) was significant. ACCESO-supported activities reduced emission intensity for carrots (-106%), cabbages (-99%), maize (-99%), and potatoes (-98%) compared to conventional production methods. However, emission intensity increased due to greater fertilizer use for plantain (55%) and coffee (247%). The carbon sequestration in perennial crops more than offset increased emissions from fertilization, resulting in net carbon sequestration. The ACCESO project was part of the Feed the Future (FTF) initiative, which aimed to promote global food security and nutrition. The project's success was attributed to its focus on sustainable intensification, which improved crop yields and reduced postharvest losses. ACCESO's effective yield improvements for all agricultural crops would have required almost 50,000 ha more land to reach the same production using conventional practices. The project's impact on the environment was also significant. Honduras is a country highly vulnerable to environmental shocks and climate change impacts. ACCESO's focus on sustainable intensification and perennial crop expansion helped to mitigate these impacts, reducing the country's reliance on conventional agricultural practices that contribute to GHG emissions. The project's success demonstrates the potential for agricultural development to contribute to climate change mitigation while improving food security and nutrition. The ACCESO project's methodology involved the use of the FAO Ex-Ante Carbon Balance Tool (EX-ACT) to estimate the project's impacts on GHG emissions and carbon sequestration. The tool provided an appraisal system to estimate the impact of agriculture and forestry development projects, programs, and policies on net GHG emissions and carbon sequestration. The results of the project's impact on GHG emissions were significant, with a net reduction in emissions due to the project's focus on sustainable intensification and perennial crop expansion. The ACCESO project's findings have implications for agricultural development and climate change mitigation. The project's success demonstrates the potential for agricultural development to contribute to climate change mitigation while improving food security and nutrition. The project's methodology provides a framework for evaluating the impact of agricultural development projects on GHG emissions and carbon sequestration. The results of the project's impact on GHG emissions highlight the importance of sustainable intensification and perennial crop expansion in reducing GHG emissions and improving food security and nutrition.