• 20 beneficiary families

  • 49,734 trees planted

Sustainable Agriculture And Forestry

Peruvian farming families

Environmental sponsorship

The project aims to restore degraded areas by establishing a sustainable agroforestry model that contributes to improving the standards of living of native populations. Agroforestry combining different tree and plant species makes it possible to rebuild an ecosystem and provide a diversified and sustainable source of income for farmers within a limited area.

The overall objectives of the project are as follows:

  • replant 200 hectares of degraded areas
  • plant 49,000 trees over 3 years

Context

Located in the north of Peru, in the Amazon rainforest, the Loreto region is faced with two major environmental problems: illegal felling (78% to 88% of timber from this region is cut illegally) and deforestation for agricultural land (3% of the surface area is already cleared at a rate of 0.2% per year).

The migrant population that has colonised the region mainly comes from the sierra and has brought their own agricultural practices, which result in the elimination of the forest through clearing/burning/seeding/harvesting/resting, until the soil is depleted. These practices have serious consequences on ecosystems and are paired with the timber and coal trade (processed on site), the main sources of incomes for these populations.

Impacts

Environmental impacts

  • Rehabilitation of degraded areas
  • Combat erosion and deforestation
  • Preservation of natural resources (water and soil) and biodiversity enhancement
  • Combat climate change thanks to carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Socio-economic impacts

  • Survival of farms thanks to training in sustainable land management
  • Poverty reduction thanks to the creation of new sources of income
  • Conservation of heritage for future generations

Achievements

Since 2008, Latitud Sud has promoted the introduction of agroforestry systems on degraded land based on the traditional knowledge of local herbalists enhanced by modern techniques. Families have thus farmed parcels combining fruit trees, medicinal and nutritional plants, based on beneficial interactions between species. The project helps make agricultural activities more sustainable while improving soil quality in the long term. Predatory economic activities associated with the forest have therefore been slowly left behind (sale of timber and coal). The successful outcome of the pilot phase, involving numerous organisations in the region, provides grounds to expand the project.

The main results of the project are as follows:

  • 49,734 trees planted in the four project communities;
  • 72.55 hectares reforested;
  • 20 beneficiary farming families.

Photo credits: Latitud Sud, GoodPlanet Foundation,

Operational partner

    Latitud Sur