Edible Forest Initiative Benefits Environmental and Community Well Being

Earth Rising Foundation is proud to support the work of the Andes Amazon Conservancy. Andes Amazon Conservancy (AAC) works with Indigenous communities to co-create Conservation Land Use Plans (CLUP) that identify and map wildlife migration corridors through the Amazonian biome. Their mission is to support Indigenous communities in executing land-use planning that will last for generations and positively impact both the environment and surrounding communities. 

Specifically AAC’s work focuses on creating a 175-mile-long, 6-million-acre Indigenous-led biocorridor connecting the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Basin. As a part of this endeavor AAC has created the Edible Forest Initiative. This initiative focuses on planting 20 overharvested native fruit and nut tree species to reforest networks of stream valleys. Specifically through this initiative AAC is reforesting 300 acres of riparian land and creating a biocorridor connecting two parcels of virgin rainforest currently conserved by the Tunants and Wiswi communities. This work has helped to create a safe wildlife road crossing and in a few years will provide a reliable source of fruit and nuts for both local communities and migrating wildlife. 

Beyond the clear environmental and community benefits, the Edible Forest Initiative has also contributed to sustainable economic development. Through the Edible Forest Initaitive AAC has trained local communities in seedling planting and tending. Additionally, AAC is able to pay a living wage to 25 full time Indigenous employees and provide supplemental income to an additional 104 Indigenous people mostly in remote areas where earning a cash wage is otherwise very rare.

Overall, this initiative and the broader work of AAC has fostered unity, economic stability, and environmental sustainability in a crucial region of the world for mitigating the climate crisis. The impact of their work will have a lasting impact on the lives of the people involved and the environmental sustainability of the rainforest.