Productive Forests and Sustainable Livelihoods
Conservation does not work without people. Therefore, we promote initiatives that serve a dual purpose: “protecting forests while achieving local well-being, through sustainable livelihoods”.
To this end, we strengthen the capacities of native communities and local populations in the Andean-Amazon region of southern Peru to develop value chains of forest products and services. We provide training and technology to connect them with the markets, generating a positive bioeconomy as a strategy to conserve protected natural areas and fragile ecosystems.
PRODUCTIVE FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
Planning and management
We provide technical assistance and support to forestry concessionaires and productive associations in the sustainable use of biodiversity in the regions of Cusco and Madre de Dios. We work together to prepare management instruments such as management declarations, annual reports, native community life plans, among others. Likewise, we support the preparation of technical project proposals so that productive associations can access non-refundable funding.
Our objective is to strengthen their capacities in resource-use planning and territorial management in accordance with current legislation, seeking harmonious coexistence with the forest.
PEZA
We achieved a successful management model by collaborating with the Tambopata National Reserve Management Committee and other organizations in the joint development of the Strategic Plan for the Buffer Zone (PEZA). This plan is currently being formalized as a key territorial management tool by the Regional Government of Madre de Dios. To learn more details about this achievement, we invite you to watch the following video:
Manu Biosphere Reserve
We are part of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, located in the departments of Cusco and Madre de Dios, one of the country’s greatest natural treasures. This unique landscape encompasses diverse altitudinal zones and extraordinary biodiversity, with Manu National Park at its core. Recognized by UNESCO, it has become an outstanding destination for ecological and scientific tourism.
Within this framework, the Reserve has presented a renewed identity through a management model that promotes sustainable development, celebrates cultural diversity, and fosters research and education.
PRODUCTIVE FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
Capacity building
Our comprehensive approach includes technical, productive and legal assistance to native communities, local populations, and forestry concessionaires in conservation areas to support the development of ecotourism activities and the sustainable use of products such as the Brazil nut, aguaje, among others. We train them in the use of technology to improve productivity, strengthen climate resilience, and monitor threats in real time.
We also strengthen the capacities of native communities in Madre de Dios and Cusco in the production of Amazonian fruits, agroforestry, handicrafts, and aquaculture for value chain development, contributing to both community well-being and the conservation of the Amazon forest.
Project “Consolidation of Protected Areas and Integration of Planning in Regional Development in the Madidi – Tambopata Mosaic (PAP Project)
This project was developed as an alternative to maintain connectivity between Protected Natural Areas. It achieved the establishment of 396 hectares of agroforestry systems, strengthened the capacities of concessionaires and native communities in the sustainable management of 65,000 hectares of forests, and supported the restoration of areas in the Buffer Zone of the Tambopata National Reserve and its tributaries. This project was implemented with financial support from the Multilateral Investment Fund – Inter-American Development Bank, the Moore Foundation, and the Andes Amazon Fund.
Manu-Tambopata Corridor Consolidation Project (MAT)
This project aimed to maintain forest cover in a large area threatened by the paving of the Interoceanic Highway and associated illegal activities across a territory of 1,002,635.26 hectares of continuous forests. This territory includes five major areas: Manu National Park, the Los Amigos Conservation Concession, the Reserve for Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation, Bahuaja Sonene National Park, and the Tambopata National Reserve.
Through this project, we worked with more than 100 farming families to establish agroforestry systems and develop market access for species such as copoazú, arazá, carambola, camu camu, sapote, among others. New development proposals compatible with conservation were promoted, and initiatives were implemented that contributed to forest preservation.
Agroforestry systems resilient to climate change in the Manu National Park
Through the project Management of Non-Timber Resources in the Amazon Forest: a strategy for adaptation and mitigation to climate change from the Bolivian and Peruvian experience, financed by Euroclima, we supported the implementation of a pilot agroforestry project based on cocoa cultivation in the native community of Infierno. This initiative enabled the establishment of 21.5 hectares of agroforestry systems, the restoration of forests degraded by traditional agriculture, the installation of a cocoa processing plant with community participation, the implementation of an irrigation system, and the establishment of plots with herbaceous cover to retain moisture and improve soil nutrients.
This project was implemented with funds from the Global ICCA Support Initiative (GSI) coordinated by PPD Peru.
Resilient Agroforestry Project in Challabamba, Cusco
The project "Implementation of Resilient Agroforestry Systems" was developed between September 2019 and April 2021 in the district of Challabamba, Cusco, in collaboration with five producer groups cultivating coffee, apples, avocados, passion fruit, and aguaymanto in the buffer zone of the Manu National Park.
The project identified gaps in production and marketing processes, from soil management to market access. To address these challenges, focus on three pillars:strengthening capabilities,sustainability of the productive base, and the promotion of collaboration between producer organizations and SERNANP – Manu National Park.
This project received financial support from UNDP/Resilient Amazon managed by SERNANP.
PRODUCTIVE FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
Value chains and market
We work closely with Indigenous communities, agroforestry concessionaires, and local producers in the Andean-Amazon region, strengthening their capacities to build value chains for forest-based products and services. Through training and technology, we promote product diversification and prepare entrepreneurs to secure funding to consolidate their business model, thereby promoting a bioeconomy that safeguards natural areas and fragile ecosystems.
We support the implementation of quality standards in accordance with Peruvian technical regulations, contributing through our participation in technical standardization subcommittees. In addition, we encourage commercial coordination through working groups, such as the Regional Executive Export Committee (CERX Madre de Dios), supporting participation in specialized trade fairs and business roundtables.
Amazonian Fruits:
In Madre de Dios, we promote fair and responsible biotrade, including the production of Amazonian fruits as sustainable livelihoods. With the support of national, regional, and local authorities, in coordination with companies and local communities, we have revitalized technical working groups addressing key value chains such as cocoa, copoazú, fish farming, forestry and chestnut exploitation. We also contribute to strengthening local companies’ marketing capacities to promote their economic growth.
Agroforestry:
We promote the implementation of agroforestry systems that combine fruit trees with timber species in Madre de Dios and Cusco. We provide technical assistance to local and native communities in nursery establishment, input provision, grafting techniques, disease control, harvesting, post-harvest management and commercialization. In alliance with the Infierno Native Community and strategic partners in Madre de Dios, we have recovered more than 20 hectares of degraded forest through agroforestry systems and established a cocoa processing plant. To date, more than 300 hectares have been restored through agroforestry system implementation.
Artisan Crafts:
We promote artisan craft production in native communities such as Infierno, Palma Real, and the Huacaria Association, strengthening capacities in craft production, sustainable use of natural resources, bookkeeping, and marketing strategies. We also support the formalization of artisan associations through registration with MINCETUR’s National Registry of Artisans to establish Indigenous business models in harmony with the environment. Additionally, we encourage active participation in regional and national fairs, facilitating sustained integration into the tourism sector.
Aquaculture:
We promote sustainable fish farming and reinvestment in aquaculture in collaboration with local communities and strategic partners. We strengthen the capacities of community members engaged in aquaculture by organizing them into producer associations and providing technical assistance, from soil selection and pond construction to fish production and market research.
PRODUCTIVE FORESTS AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS
Innovation
We promote scientific and technological development to add value to prioritized value chains in the Andean-Amazonian forests by encouraging research that enables local actors to improve their productive activities. This is part of our strategy to increase the value of standing forests.
In this context, we promote actions such as:
Traceability
Through the use of QR codes, this initiative seeks to raise awareness about Brazil nut production within Native Community territories, highlighting the life stories of each community member or family engaged in this activity. The system provides field-based information, including legal compliance and adherence to minimum quality standards in resource collection, with the aim of informing final consumers about product origin and ensuring that products from native communities maintain their own identity.
Research
In collaboration with CITE Productivo Madre de Dios, we are conducting research to improve chestnut reforestation processes by incorporating mycorrhizae during field planting.
Productive Forests and Sustainable Livelihoods
Allies and Partners
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