Since mid-2023, Bosques Amazónicos (BAM) and Nuevo Belén, a local community adjacent to our REDD+ The Last Habitat conservation project in Campo Verde, Ucayali, have been developing an initiative that seeks to improve the income of cassava and fariña producers. Together with the community, we started a project for the development of productive cassava plots, which aims to increase crop productivity by 50%, strengthening the technical capacity of the population and the efficient management of the crops.
BAM seeks to promote good agricultural practices and local knowledge to improve crop profitability, increase the income of small producers and reduce pressure on forests due to unsustainable economic activities linked to land use change and illegal logging.
Details of the project
Understanding that the production of cassava and fariña (cassava flour) is one of the most traditional economic activities in the region, it was decided to develop a joint project to strengthen local capacities and knowledge. The first step was to carry out a productive and organizational diagnosis of the cassava producers in the area to evaluate the group’s capacities, learn about the characteristics of the land and propose an assistance package to achieve the proposed objective. Through the participatory process of socialization of the proposal, the opinions and suggestions of the community were gathered and decisions were made jointly. The fariñeros proposed 3 different plot locations and, based on the soil analysis carried out by specialists, the final location of the plots was determined.
As part of this process, BAM provides training and ongoing technical assistance to participants in the monitoring and sustainable management of their plantations, thus enhancing their skills and knowledge in this hectare of learning. The company also helped the local community form the “Asociación de Productores de Yuca y Fariña de Nuevo Belén” (Nuevo Belén Cassava and Fariña Producers’ Association), bringing together cassava producers, reducing costs and making this economic activity more formal and efficient.
In line with this, on Saturday, November 4, the planting of cassava was carried out through a communal work with more than 15 participants from the Nuevo Belén community, both women and men, and BAM’s technical team.
Through this project, Bosques Amazónicos strengthens the capacities of the farmers in the context of its REDD+ The Last Habitat conservation project, seeking to improve their quality of life and promoting the sustainable development of the families living in and from the forests.
More about BAM
Our REDD+ The Last Habitat conservation project located in Campo Verde, Ucayali, protects more than 20,000 hectares of forest and its extraordinary biodiversity, and indirectly benefits more than 15 surrounding local communities.
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BAM, private investment for a sustainable world.
By: Valeria Drinot
