Rice paddy fields
Loading...
Files
Authors
Warwick Franklin
Issue Date
30/01/2015
Type
Language
en
Keywords
Energy
Alternative Title
Abstract
Views on journey from St Ignatio to Jaen. The Chinchipe River basin is located on the border between Peru and Ecuador, at the source of the Amazon River. Pastures that resemble natural water sponges can be found in this area. Scientists and researchers call such areas ‘moors’. This is where the cloud forests of the mountainous Amazon region begin. They make up the ecosystem in which the largest source of our planet’s drinking water is generated, drop by drop. This impressively beautiful landscape is home to some 162,000 peasant farmers, the majority from the mountains of Peru and Ecuador. They live in poverty, eking out a living (of around just £1 a day) through the small-scale production of coffee and timber. However, these activities are not only barely sustainable but have also led to the destruction of forests, mainly because of the brittleness of the soil and the steep slopes. The project work with the farmers to create stable and sustainable farms so that they will no longer need to cut down trees to make a living. Instead, they improve and increase their coffee cultivation, working in harmony with the surrounding forest. Although many local farmers have begun this process, they have not yet made significant progress due to the lack of timely technical advice and resources. Reason for the visit: To understand small coffee producers and their experiences of agroforestry associations, to identify their needs for finance cooperation and for public and private investment for integrating forestry plantations into agroforestry systems with coffee plants to enhance land productivity an sustainability. So producer may preserve cloud forests potential production and environmental services from these forests as a conservation strategy. There was a meeting on december 1st 2008, at the city of San Ignacio – Cajamarca, with forest, social and agriculture specialists and politicians in representation of MUNICIPALIDAD DE SAN IGNACIO, MNISTERIO DEL AMBIENTE, Cooperatives, NGOs DED (Servicio alemán) and Caritas Jaen….
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
All rights reserved