Producers in usulutan?especially young people and women?are some of the poorest in EL salvador, with limited economic opportunities to support their families

This $125,000 Project Grant from the Inter-American Foundation's IAF Assistance for Overseas Programs will support the Asociacion Cooperativa De Produccion Agropecuaria De Usulutan De R.L. cooperative in El Salvador. The cooperative, led by youth and women, will expand sustainable honey production and sale of value-added honey products like candles and shampoo. This aims to increase incomes for cooperative members, who are among the poorest producers in Usulutan Department, El Salvador. The grant activities are aligned with the IAF's Women Investing in Growth and Security initiative to empower women in business and community leadership. The three-year grant period will run from September 2021 through September 2024.

They also have few resources with which to improve their resilience to increasing periods of drought and intense storms. The IAF supports community-led solutions that promote sustainable agriculture practices, create economic opportunities, and strengthen resilience to extreme weather events. IAF grantee asociaci? Cooperativa DE producci? Agropecuaria DE usulut? (ACOPAU) is a youth and women-led cooperative that is expanding the sustainable production and sale of honey and value-added products such as candles and shampoos to increase members? Incomes. This grant is part of the IAF?S women investing in growth and security (WINGS) initiative to empower women as business and community leaders and efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration in central america.