Organic and Fair Trade Coffee

ForesTrade de Guatemala (FTG) focuses on production partnerships for certified organic cardamom, allspice, ramon nut, annatto, vanilla, and coffee with predominantly indigenous Mayan communities in the Departments of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, and El Peten. Following an earlier investment of partner Conservation International, the Equator Initiative grant strengthens ForesTrade’s triple bottom line by supporting the company’s Biosphere Coffee Program along with its socio-economic and environmental commitment. The grant benefits two participating Guatemalan coffee cooperatives (APROCOM and APODIP) and 1,061 small-scale coffee producers of Mayan Q’eqchi and Poqomchí origin who live in remote mountain villages of the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve. Respective Enterprise Development interventions are on-going and managed by FTG, APROCOM, APODIP, Rainforest Alliance, World Neighbors, and Counterpart International. Additional project information and photos can be found here (PDF Document – size: 176 KB).

Ecotourism in Support of Local Community

Ibo Island Safaris (IIS), subsidiary of Wildlife Adventures, is a tourism company on Ibo Island located off the north eastern coast of Mozambique. When IIS started its operations in the early 90s, it realized that the region’s rich biodiversity was threatened by factors such as poverty, mismanagement, and overuse of natural resources. IIS wanted to develop a sustainable business model using tourism to conserve the island’s biological and historical environment, while at the same time promoting and generating income for the region and its inhabitants. The company sought financial support from Conservation International and the Equator Initiative to highlight and increase its direct involvement with the island’s community through employment, training, and partnership activities. The Equator Initiative grant aims to support Ibo Island Safaris in its financial, environmental, as well as socioeconomic performance. Additional project information can be found here (PDF Document – size: 71 KB), for photos of the project site please click here (PDF Document – size: 771 KB).

Sustainable Harvesting of Brazil Nuts

Rainforest Exquisite Products S.A. (REPSA) is a small Bolivian shareholder enterprise producing organic non-timber forest products, such as gourmet coffee, chocolates, and Brazil nuts that are harvested wild from the Bolivian rainforest. In addition to Conservation International’s loan, the Equator Initiative grant supports REPSA in its social and environmental commitment by ensuring the capacity building of workers and families and accelerating the certification of REPSA’s Brazil nut business through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The Equator Initiative’s financial contribution enables REPSA to install a monitoring system based on GPS technology and allows for the sustainable collection of Brazil nuts by mapping 50,000 Brazil nut trees, as well as collecting information regarding harmful hunting activities and related wildlife counts. For additional project information please click here (PDF Document – size: 67 KB).

Reforestation of Native Tree Species

Sociedad Koyam Limitada (Koyam) is a business venture between Lonko Kilapang, an indigenous NGO that serves Mapuche communities, and the Chilean subsidiary of Timberline Natural Resources Group, a Canadian employee-owned land and forest management services corporation. Koyam represents the mutual interests of its two parent organizations while it focuses on sustainable business opportunities within rural communities. The partnership helps rural and indigenous landowners benefit from the Chilean government’s payments for reforestation by paying upfront for planting tools, training activities, and wages for workers. In September 2006, Conservation International provided Koyam with a four year credit line to finance the reforestation of degraded lands in the Araucanía region of Chile while paying particular attention to the cultivation of Chile’s Araucaria tree. The Equator Initiative’s parallel grant investment strengthens Koyam’s financial operations along with the Pehuenche people’s capacity to benefit from reforestation and repay respective loans successfully. For more information on Koyam’s reforestation project please click here (PDF Document – size: 69 KB). Additional project details and photos can be found on Koyam’s website: http://www.koyam.cl