The insurance Crop Facility (ICF) is to invent new technologies to help farmers get more produce from a small piece of land. The insurance cropping system maximizes production through the intensification of the cropping system in the time and space dimensions, that is a more significant number of crops in a specific time and a number of more crops in the same piece of land. The insurance Crop Facility (ICF) Model will be established through intensified and diversified fruit and vegetable production systems and hedgerow food plant cultivation. For the ICF model, the unutilized border of the crop area will be used to grow fruits and herbs. The border crop will serve as insurance in case of failure of the primary crop. 54 families (18 in each of the proposed villages) will be selected through active and effective involvement of the Community Based Organizations. Fruit plants and seed/seedlings of herbs/medicinal plants (not fertilizers and pesticides) will be provided to the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries will be trained to establish the ICF model and crop management practices. The beneficiaries will contribute all the other resources (inputs, labor cost, etc.).
These models will contribute to year-round food facilities and livelihood for smallholder farmers because they, due to financial constraints, cannot grow food for themselves and have no other option for food and livelihood security.
