Faced with this reality, the Paraíso Verde Project, implemented by Swisscontact with the financial support of the European Union under the Global Gateway strategy, promotes sustainable solutions adapted to the rural context, such as biodigesters powered by cattle manure. This technology makes it possible to transform a resource readily available on farms into biogas for cooking and biol, an organic fertiliser that can be used to improve crops.
To facilitate implementation, the project promotes a co-responsibility model, in which part of the investment is contributed by the beneficiary families and part by the Paraíso Verde Project. In this way, not only is a new technology promoted, but the families' commitment to its use, maintenance and long-term benefit is also strengthened.
Biodigesters work through a daily mixture of cow manure and water. This process generates biogas, which can be used for cooking in the household, reducing firewood consumption and dependence on gas (LPG) or electricity.
On one of the beneficiary farms, the system is fed daily with approximately three buckets of manure and six buckets of water, producing around three cubic metres of biogas per day, enough to cook for several hours.
This experience reflects the impact that technology can have on the daily lives of rural families: less spending, less smoke in the home and better use of the resources available on the farm.
In addition to producing cooking gas, biodigesters enable better management of cattle manure, preventing this waste from contaminating the soil or water sources. What was once considered waste is now transformed into energy, fertiliser and well-being.
The system also generates around 200 litres of biol per day, an organic fertiliser that can be used to nourish soils and improve crops. Thanks to this natural fertiliser, families can reduce the use of urea and other chemical fertilisers, lower their production costs and move towards cleaner, more environmentally friendly agriculture.
Through the technical support of the Paraíso Verde Project, families who adopt this technology learn to use, care for and maintain their biodigesters, ensuring that the benefits are sustained over time. This support is key to ensuring that the technology is not seen as an isolated solution, but as part of a broader process of productive and environmental transformation in the territory.
With initiatives like this, Paraíso Verde contributes to improving household economies, protecting natural resources, reducing pollution and promoting more sustainable production practices in the El Paraíso region.
The experience of the beneficiary families demonstrates that, when sustainable solutions are adapted to the real needs of the territory, they can generate visible changes in the home, on the farm and in the environment.