FAIR MARKET PRICE
+ 3,375 total income for the season
- 350 reinvest in the land
- 400 studies, medicines, loans
- 960 food x 6 people
+ 1,665 in savings
Of beans and dreams
The power of local food markets
Discover how purchasing US$ 1M dollars in local grains can benefit 976 farmers, generate 478 jobs, and cultivate 1,112 hectares.
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HER JOURNEY
Learn about Carmen and her family's journey
MEET CARMEN -
THE IMPACT
Calculate the human and economic impact
SEE THE NUMBERS -
TAKE ACTION
Invest and change lives in Latin America and the Caribbean
BUY LOCAL
MEET CARMEN
My dream was to see my four children graduate
As a child, Carmen never had the chance to study. Growing up in Honduras' Dry Corridor, she never imagined she could succeed as a small farmer without formal education.
She didn't think she could make it, because of her lack of education.
But Carmen had a powerful motivation: her four children. She was determined to give them the opportunities she never had, no matter how hard she had to work.
Access to a secure market transformed Carmen and her husband's, bean production. They now supply nearby schools and have a stable income.
Tough times.
Looking back.
For years, Carmen and her husband Edgar, struggled to produce and sell their beans in Honduras' Dry Corridor.
Prices were unstable and sales unpredictable. Some seasons ended with losses, others with debt. They worked tirelessly but could hardly make ends meet. To earn extra money, Carmen baked bread and cleaned houses while Edgar farmed whatever land they could rent. Their family of six lived in a one-room mud-brick house.
They lived on just
US$ 1.15 a day
and whatever they could grow
Every single day, they had to make difficult choices: putting a plate on the table, paying for their four children's school fees, buying medicines when they fell sick or investing back in their crops.
Most days, they would eat their own beans.
The land is generous, but it can't guarantee stability.
SELLING THE BEANS
Imagine you are Carmen.
You just produce 45 sacks of beans in your 1.4 ha of rented land.
At what price would you sell your beans?
MIDDLEMAN BUYER
+ 1,710 total income for the season
- 350 reinvest in the land
- 400 studies, medicines, loans
- 960 food x 6 people
= 0 in savings
SEE THE NUMBERS
An impact that goes beyond
Change came when they formed a farmer community cooperative: they learned new techniques and enhanced their production.
For the first time, with the support of the Government and WFP, they had access to training, irrigation systems, machinery and—most importantly—reliable buyers.
Help Carmen break the cycle and connect her to a secure market.
Adjust the investment to see how buying local changes lives
How much do you want to invest local?
Your impact:
976small farmers supported
1,112hectares of land cultivated
478full-time jobs generated
$ 1,820,240annual income ($1,865 per farmer)
Supporting small farmers generates a real impact
WFP promotes local procurement within food systems, helping to connect farmers to markets to improve their food security.
READ THE STUDYBUY LOCAL
Carmen's success spanned across generations. Her children—once the tutors who taught her to read—are now professionals. Her journey to food security illustrates how investing in local food markets can help individuals, families, communities and the whole country. Know more stories:
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DAMARIS
A milk producer in Honduras. Thanks to WFP support, she now manages the local milk plant, delivering 230 milk rations to the local school every week.
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PEDRO
A vegetable producer who delivers fresh produce to the local school. With WFP's support, he now has a reliable local outlet and earns a fair income.
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DANA AND RITZA
Ritza, mother to fifth-grader Dana, cooks the school meals that include beans, fruit and fortified milk.
Buy local
When governments, organizations and individuals buy directly from smallholder farmers, the benefits ripple far beyond individual households. Across Honduras, local procurement is creating new demand for beans, maize, vegetables, and dairy — supporting livelihoods and revitalizing rural economies.
Frequently asked questions
What is Of Beans and Dreams?
Of Beans and Dreams is an interactive story from the World Food Programme's FoodPrints series. It follows Carmen, a smallholder bean farmer in Honduras' Dry Corridor, from years of unstable sales to middlemen to a secure market that now supplies nearby schools.
How much difference does a fair price make to a farming family?
A great deal. Selling a 45-sack harvest to a middleman at US$ 38 per 100 lbs leaves Carmen's family of six with nothing after reinvesting in the land and paying for school fees, medicine and food. At a fair market price of US$ 75, the same harvest leaves about US$ 1,665 in savings.
What impact does buying US$ 1 million in local grains have?
Purchasing US$ 1 million in local grains can support 976 small farmers, cultivate 1,112 hectares of land and generate 478 full-time jobs, with an annual income of around US$ 1,865 per farmer.
What is WFP doing to help smallholder farmers?
WFP promotes local procurement within food systems, connecting farmers to markets to improve their food security. With the support of the Government and WFP, families like Carmen's formed a cooperative and gained access to training, irrigation systems, machinery and — most importantly — reliable buyers.
How can I help?
Buy directly from smallholder producers where you can, share Carmen's story, and donate to WFP to fund programmes that connect farmers to fair markets across Latin America and the Caribbean.