Ecuador is one of South America's poorest countries. But aid has enabled local people to start up a booming business in cheese-making in the Sierra Norte, a mountainous region in the north. By working together to help themselves, local people are now reaping the benefits of sustainabledevelopment and escaping a life of poverty.

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The Sierra Norte is part of the Andean mountain range close to the equator. Here, the land ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 metres above sea-level.

Barriers to development
Many people in the Sierra Norte make a living from rearing cattle on the mountain slopes to produce milk and cheese. But poverty is widespread. Poor roads have meant that small farmers have limited opportunities to sell their milk, which was sometimes sour by the time it reached a buyer. Meanwhile, deforestation has caused widespread soil erosion, degrading the land.

A future in cheese
In 1996, eight local farmers put together a plan to improve the local economy focusing on cheese. They borrowed money from the Belgian government to build 13 modern cheese-making factories. Now local farmers have a guaranteed market for their milk, and the factories process two million litres of milk a year.

To run the cheese-making business, over a thousand farmers and their families are members of a co-operative called Quesinor. A typical member of Quesinor has about three cows, producing nine litres of milk a day. But as part of a large co-operative, farmers can access new, bigger markets, which would be impossible for individual farmers. Today, Quesinor cheese is sold not just locally. By investing in better transport, the cheese can reach Ecuador's cities like Quito and Guayaquil, and even Colombia. Quesinor now sells about £25,000 worth of cheese every month. Farmers have spent some of Quesinor's profits on improving their farming techniques and looking after their land. Cattle herds are now penned in fields with barbed wire or electric fencing to control grazing, and 40 hectares of trees have been planted to stop soil erosion in the long-term. Quesinor even runs its own bank. This way, people can borrow money at low interest rates to develop their farms.

Wider benefits
Thanks to Quesinor, farmers are enjoying a better quality of life. They have fewer debts than before, and they have water, electricity and television in their homes. Their children can go to school because their parents no longer need them to earn extra money for the family. The rest of the Sierra Norte community benefits too. Gustavo Tuquerres, a member of Quesinor commented, "villages with cheese plants now have better transport and roads, health centres, drainage systems and better schools".

An optimistic future
With the business well established, Quesinor farmers are finding ways to expand. The experienced cheese-makers are training other members of their community to bargain with supermarkets and other buyers to ensure a good price for Quesinor cheese. The co-operative is also looking into ways of joining forces with other cheese-making businesses in Ecuador. Through self-help, collective decision-making and a focus on sustainable development, Quesinor is making a lasting difference to the people of the Sierra Norte.