Nature Canada's past work in Paraguay

Diversifying Incomes, Sequestering Carbon, and Conserving Rare Habitat in the Interior Atlantic Forests of Paraguay

San Rafael Biosphere Reserve in the Atlantic Forest © Guyra Paraguay

From 2002-2004, Nature Canada and Guyra Paraguay (our BirdLife partner in Paraguay) developed an innovative climate change project in the critically endangered Interior Atlantic Forest ecosystems of Paraguay. Despite one of the highest national deforestation rates of any Latin American country, some 13.4 per cent (or 14,789 square kilometres) of the original cover still remains in this forest. Our multi-year multidisciplinary climate change project integrated sustainable economic development, the conservation of biodiversity, and climate change mitigation.

Ensuring the sustainability of land-use practices and improving the conservation status of Atlantic Forest ecosystems will protect and enhance their carbon sequestration potential — an important component of climate change mitigation locally and globally. Our project helped Paraguayans learn to measure and monitor the carbon sequestration capacity of the Interior Atlantic Forest. Participants from the Paraguayan government, local NGOs, local landowners, universities, research institutions and students received training to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the potential Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The project team implemented activities in eight communities adjacent to four key conservation sites in eastern Paraguay.

In 2004 Nature Canada and Guyra Paraguay gained support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) to continue working with two of these Paraguayan communities.

Due to these on-the-ground efforts, landowners came to appreciate the need to implement sustainable land-use practices, and the communities identified improvements to agricultural practices that could be adapted into local business plans.

The project also enhanced the knowledge and ability of Guyra Paraguay and Nature Canada to engage in climate change initiatives within both the policy and science spheres. Guyra Paraguay is currently assisting the national government's climate change program. The first ever detailed scientific study of carbon flows under various forms of land-use for in the Interior Atlantic Forests of eastern Paraguay was produced.

This work was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Strengthening Agricultural Sustainability and Rural Development in Communities within the Buffer Zones of Paraguay's Key Atlantic Forest Protected Areas

Organic family vegetable garden in Santa Ana © Guyra Paraguay

In 2005, Nature Canada and Guyra Paraguay initiated a follow-up project to their work on improved land-use practices and carbon sequestration in the Atlantic Forest. They worked together over three years to develop an integrated model of sustainable community agriculture in two communities within the buffer zones of Paraguay's key Atlantic Forest protected areas: the farmer community of Santa Ana adjacent to the San Rafael Managed Resources Reserve, and the indigenous community of Koe Tuwy in the Mbaracayú Biosphere Reserve area.

Through the project, people in the communities of Santa Ana and Koe Tuwy developed organizational skills, learned about a range of organic agricultural techniques and pest control methods, planted shade grown organic yerba mate, and started producing vegetables, honey and citrus fruits for their own consumption and for sale. The communities have benefitted from enhanced nutrition and food security, as well as increased income from commercial agricultural sales.

The project is an example of the need for conservation efforts to include measures for improving people's livelihoods. By promoting sustainable sources of income and food, the project provided an alternative to illegal logging in the reserves and further clearing of the remaining forest. Project participants have said that they learned that much can be produced without clearing more forest. Santa Ana will increase their income by at least 23% or 73 million guaraníes (USD $16,500) per year, based mainly on the sale of shade-grown organic yerba mate and organic honey. The indigenous community of Koe Tuwy perceived an additional income of 24 million guaraníes (USD $5,100) in 2007 from the sale of yerba mate plantlets and has a strong business relationship with Guayakí Sustainable Rainforest Products, Inc.

The project also contributed to enhancing the role of women as leaders and decision-makers at home and in their communities. In Santa Ana, the project supported women to establish their own, hugely successful, vegetable gardens. In Koe Tuwy, the project was a strong supporter of Margarita Mbywangy, who is perhaps the only woman who has remained as leader of a community for a number of years in Paraguay. Guyra Paraguay has been a strong supporter of Margarita as she continues to defend the rights of her community and to share their experiences, including their growing success with shade-grown organic yerba mate. On April 20, 2008, Margarita Mbywangy was appointed to head the government department responsible for aboriginal affairs (INDI).

This work was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Read about our current projects in the Caribbean and Paraguay, or our past projects in Panama and Mexico.