Four farmer producer organizations launched La Cosecha del Día, Ecuador's first farmer-owned marketplace for agroecological food products. The online marketplace will help local farmers that are part of Heifer Ecuador's Future of Food program to increase the supply of fresh, safe, healthy food, to families across the country.

La Cosecha del Día sells goods produced by 400 mainly women small-scale producers from the Agroecological Solidarity Economy Network of the Kayambi Territory (RESAK) in Pichincha; the Association Pamar Chacrin of the Sigsig canton in Azuay province; the Network of Producers of Guayabillas of the Parish of Pacto in the northwest of Pichincha province; and the Association of Agroecological Producers (APA) in Azuay province.

The online marketplace offers 200 products, including vegetables, fruits, seafood, grains, flours, natural herbs, snacks and baked goods. Customers can see the full history and traceability of the products they purchase, increasing awareness of where their food comes from while promoting local farmers who are producing high-quality, sustainable food.

"The pandemic revealed the environmental and equity issues with our food system. As an online store built and owned by farmers, La Cosecha del Día guarantees farmers a fair price for their agroecological crops, while providing consumers with fresh, safe food," said Rosa Rodriguez, country director of Heifer Ecuador. "The marketplace will contribute to building a sustainable local food system that benefits farmers and consumers beyond the pandemic."