Agriculture

Single-family greenhouses have had a great impact on the Altiplano. These greenhouses supply vegetables that would otherwise not survive the over 200 nights of frost each year. One greenhouse not only feeds a family but often provides a source of income when they sell the surplus crops at market.

As much as 80% of the average diet in this region is potatoes. A diet this high in starch often leads to malnutrition, poor health and high infant mortality.

By providing the adobe bricks and all of the labor, villagers are able to keep the cost of each greenhouse to under $900 (or £600). After their families' needs are met, surplus vegetables can be traded with neighbors or sold at market.

The next series of greenhouses will have an attached hutch for small animals. The heat from the greenhouses will help keep the animals alive (chickens or guinea pigs cannot survive the cold without some sort of protection). This will provide extra protein for the villagers as well as increase the quality of fertilizer available for the vegetables.

The communities we work with have stressed the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly farming techniques. Subsistence farmers can rarely afford pesticides or chemical fertilizers. QBL provides technicians to find organic solutions to pest problems by plant disease.