The community of Ribeira da Cruz (Municipality of Porto Novo) in Santo Antão Island, is a small rural area known by its importance for agriculture, especially in carrots, cabbage and potatoes production.

During recent years, the production of vegetables have somewhat increased thanks to the introduction of the famous drip irrigation systems, which has reduced production costs and increased farmer?s earnings. But not every farmer has had access to this technology, and this makes water still an issue because of high cost of water.
On a negative note, some Ribeira da Cruz farmers are also known to still be using unsustainable agricultural practices, such as the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and mismanagement of soil organic matter.
In this context, the GRAFE of Ribeira da Cruz decided to promote this initiative which will implement best water use, and agro ecological practices. The specific objectives of this project 12 months are: 1) equip 6 750 m² of land drip irrigation systems distributed among 15 farmers of Ribeira da Cruz, and 2) reduce the use of chemical inputs (pesticides and fertilizers) through implementation of best practices and alternative agro ecological techniques.