While Salt Spring farmers grow at least ninety different kinds of vegetable and fruit crops, and produce livestock, local food production makes up less than 10% of the available food on the Island and the rest is brought by ferry. The community became concerned about a potential rise in food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic. They decided to mount special efforts to keep agriculture running as an essential business, markets well supplied with affordable and nutritious food, and island residents safely supplied with food despite movement restrictions and income losses.

When Covid-19 hit the capital of Bolivia many borders had to be closed. Our partner, Aymara Women Vegetable Producers Association of Achocalla, saw this as an opportunity rather than a setback, and found a way to continue providing an essential service: local, healthy and fresh farm products for consumers, as well as income for 405 farm families living in Achocalla — a municipality about 15 km from the city of La Paz.