[{"bbox": [71, 103, 1160, 291], "category": "Text", "text": "During 2019 and 2020 the situation continued to worsen, further narrowing down the limited space for civil society, media, human rights activists and any opposition to the regime, as shown by the recent adoption of legislation aiming at increasing the government's grip on the population's civil and political rights. With elections planned in 2021, the EU Delegation (EUD) carried out a conflict analysis to inform the MIP and to ensure all actions are conflict sensitive and can bring about positive change in the most likely scenarios. As EU direct cooperation with the government is almost inexistent at this point, this action will support civil society and the private sector directly, while coordinating technical aspects with relevant public instances."}, {"bbox": [71, 315, 1160, 557], "category": "Text", "text": "The “cautious approach” adopted by the EU since April 2018 is still relevant: while keeping its humanitarian assistance to those most in need, it provides support to the Nicaraguan population in accessing their rights, including economic, social and democratic, and in weathering the economic and political hardship. The approach includes direct implementation by selected international partners and additional safeguards to ensure that project resources are used strictly for project activities, limiting visibility and favouring joint actions with Member States. Simultaneously, and in line with its fundamental values, the EU has reinforced its support to civil society organizations in the country, despite an increasingly restrictive space marked by recently adopted legislation targeting CSOs. NGOs and CSOs have so far managed to continue operating with international support, but it remains paramount that the EU continue to help defend and preserve their current limited operating space."}, {"bbox": [71, 581, 1160, 717], "category": "Text", "text": "Nicaragua's geographical position makes it vulnerable to natural hazards, droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. As mentioned above, the EU will take into account different possible scenarios before, during and after elections in 2021, including the increasingly restrictive environment for cooperation actors, in order to ensure the action is designed in a conflict sensitive manner and following the recommendations of the conflict analysis. Moreover, the EUD and its implementing partners will develop a strong risk identification and mitigation strategy."}, {"bbox": [71, 741, 1160, 981], "category": "Text", "text": "In Nicaragua, agriculture is a key sector for contributing to several SDGs such that – even in the current economic recessionary period from 2018 to 2020 – the agricultural sector continued to grow in contrast to the sharp decline experiences by all other pillars of the economy. Reports on greenhouse gases highlight the fact that the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions are related to land use, land use change and forestry. Nicaragua's economy relies heavily on the exploitation of its natural resources and agricultural products. Promoting a transition to a greener agriculture will not only benefit food production, but also contribute to reaching the NDC goals. Nicaragua as a country aims to increase the proportion of fermented and certified cocoa it produces. There are several positive factors associated to this goal: higher international prices, an alternative crop in coffee areas affected by higher temperatures and, significant environmental benefits (green coverage, water infiltration)."}, {"bbox": [71, 1005, 1160, 1378], "category": "Text", "text": "Organic cocoa production is a climate change adaptation and mitigation alternative since cocoa can become a substitute\ncrop in those areas in which the coffee production is affected by higher temperatures. Cocoa production systems can\nmake an important contribution to biodiversity as cocoa trees are often planted under the shade of the forest canopy.\nThe crop has the potential to contribute to the fight against deforestation, if promoted as an alternative livelihood source\nin zones near protected areas and other forests. The action will pay particular attention to avoid potential re-bound effects\nand perverse incentives to establish new cocoa plantations within protected areas or other high-value ecosystems,\nincluding forests. It also provides environmental services by capturing CO2 and releasing O2. Cocoa is a key crop for\nwater harvest and infiltration, as well as environmental restoration of degraded areas and can thus play an important\neconomic and environmental role. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 86.2 percent of cocoa producers own less\nthan 2.1 hectares, and they are concentrated (98 percent) in the departments of Matagalpa, Jinotega, Río San Juan, and\nthe North (RACCN) and South (RACCS) Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions. The Caribbean Coast Autonomous\nRegions, Jinotega and Río San Juan are areas with high levels of rural poverty, poor nutrition in children, adolescents\nand women, and there are large gaps in access to education across all educational levels. Most of the country's\nindigenous and afro-descendant communities are concentrated in RACCN."}, {"bbox": [71, 1402, 1160, 1563], "category": "Text", "text": "Nicaragua supplies cocoa to several regions around the world, including Central America, USA, Europe and Asia. As far as Europe is concerned, Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands are key markets using fermented cocoa as a raw material. Italy, France, Hungary, Lithuania and the Czech Republic are emerging markets with potential to increase volume in next years. In the case of Germany, Ritter Sport has invested in Nicaragua not only in collecting and exporting infrastructure, but also in plantations. Europe is also a key market for fermented organic cocoa in fair trade niches, where the price differential is up to 40 – 50 % higher with respect to the price of conventional cocoa."}, {"bbox": [1051, 1663, 1159, 1687], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 5 of 22"}]