Productive Projects

FOREST - BIODIVERSITY - WATERS - INDIGENOUS

Through this Key Activity, we design and develop Productive Projects alongside Family-based Agri-Food Production Systems to enhance food production, ensure food security, promote sustainable agricultural practices, reduce pressure on the forest, and create new economic opportunities for Indigenous communities. These projects are driven by Matavén Indigenous peoples.

Over the lifecycle of the Project, we have developed more than 260 small and medium-sized productive projects – including:

REDD+ Matavén

Sustainable
Agriculture
Projects

We’ve initiated agriculture projects focused on crops like sweet and bitter cassava,plantains, sugar cane, maize, yam, cashew, cilantro, rice, passion fruit, oranges,lemons, pineapples, and guavas. To support these efforts, we provide seeds, lime,fertilizers, pesticides, and essential tools such as machetes, shovels, wheelbarrows,and sharpening files. We also fund labor for land preparation, weeding, cropmanagement, and road maintenance, ensuring smooth project implementation.Additionally, we manage agreements for technical assistance and training to helpcommunities adopt best practices in agriculture

Livestock Projects: To strengthen livestock farming, we have supplied broiler chickens, laying hens, feed, antibiotics, and vitamins. We’ve also arranged for the transportation of animals, supplies, and materials, ensuring that communities have everything they need to succeed. Technical training and support have been provided to promote sustainable livestock management practices.
Agrosilvopastoral Projects: We focus on integrating forestry and livestock farming. We’ve supplied calves, heifers, tools, and vaccinations, while ensuring cold-chain transportation for vaccines and other materials. Technical assistance and training help Indigenous farmers sustainably manage their livestock and land.

Handicraft Projects: We have financed the purchase and transportation of materials and supplies for handicraft production. We also support community members in participating in fairs, helping them market their products and expand their economic opportunities.
Additional Productive Projects: Other initiatives include fish farming, ecological beekeeping, tailoring and sewing, to diversify income sources and support environmental conservation efforts.

Did you know?

We have been leading four large-scale productive initiatives over the past four years along with the Indigenous Cooperative COOMATAVÉN, focusing on sustainable development and strengthening Indigenous communities.

Cacao, Plantain, Fruit, and
Native Timber Species Project

In collaboration with the Granja Tarapacá Foundation, this ongoing project benefits 90 families from 9 Indigenous communities, focusing on sustainable development. Key aspects of the project include:

Technical Assistance and Supplies:

Nursery and Infrastructure:

Agroecological Practices:

Economic Impact:

Farm Schools Project

Launched in September 2021 in partnership with the Fundación Granja Tarapacá, this project operates across 2 Farm Schools involving 11 Indigenous communities, benefiting 50 families: the Kulima Pabi Farm School for the Matsuldani, Boponé, San Marcos, San Roque, and Siracusa communities (Aiwakuna Tsepajibo sector); and the Banakale Pabi Farm School for the Siwo Tsenebo, Trinidad, Nazareth, Naranjito, Siwo Rincón, and Merey Danubio communities (Bajo Río Vichada 1 sector). The schools are self-sufficient spaces where agroecology and natural resource protection coexist, blending ancestral knowledge with modern sustainable practices. Key aspects of the project include:

Supplies and Infrastructure:

Each participant receives essential supplies, materials, and equipment for sustainable agriculture.
Construction of nurseries and laboratories for producing fertilizers and natural compost.
Green manure and planting materials are prepared using community- collected resources.
The schools focus on substrate preparation, foliar fertilization, and crop cleaning to support agroecological production.
Special adaptations are made to revegetate soils and provide the nutritional resources needed for agroecological farming.

Continued Development:

Expanded the two 5-hectare farm schools, providing agricultural tools such as brush cutters, cultivators, water pumps, storage tanks, and irrigation systems.
Ongoing training for participating families to promote agroecology and sustainable practices, combining ancestral knowledge with new techniques.
Communities regularly gather to cultivate cassava, maize, plantains, sugar cane, chili, beans, medicinal plants, trees, and pastures. These crops support both people and animals.
Youth and women play leadership roles, supported by elders (unuma).

Community-Based Eco Tourism Project

Launched in July 2021 in partnership with the Fundación “Cuidar la Tierra”, this project promotes sustainable tourism and supports 4 Indigenous communities: Barranco Colorado and La Urbana (Zone 3), and Laguna Cacao and Laguna Negra (Zone 4), benefiting 40 families. Key components include:

Infrastructure Development:

Training and Capacity Building:

Progress:

Beneficiaries are now well-prepared to offer high-quality and safe tourism services.
Infrastructure upgrades are being completed, including installations for electricity, internet, and bathrooms with running water.
We are in the process of negotiating an agreement with a national and international tour operator to begin welcoming tourists to the ecolodge cabins by next year.

Ornamental Fish Breeding Project

Launched in July 2021 in partnership with FUNINDES, this ongoing project supports families from 3 Indigenous communities in Zone 3: Pueblo Nuevo Zama, La Urbana, and Pueblo Escondido. The project focuses on the captive breeding of ornamental fish to reduce pressure on their natural habitats, protect endemic species in the Matavén Forest, and prevent overharvesting, while creating new economic opportunities for Indigenous communities. Key components include:

Training and Capacity Building:

Captive Breeding:

We are advancing captive breeding techniques in laboratory conditions. Once perfected, this knowledge will be shared with the communities, reducing reliance on wild capture and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the species.
We continue to work towards obtaining the necessary permits from AUNAP (National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority) for the reproduction and commercialization of ornamental fish.

Captive Breeding:

We have installed 3 floating cage systems for fish storage and 3 water quality monitoring systems.
Specialized nets have been developed to capture fish safely, preventing injury.
A laboratory for ornamental fish breeding and a collection center have been set up in Inírida.
With more countries banning the sale of fish captured from natural habitats, demand for captive-bred fish is rising, offering great potential for sustainable economic growth.

Coomatavén Multiactive Cooperative

Established in 2019, the Coomatavén Multiactive Cooperative was founded to integrate and coordinate the activities of various organizations in Matavén, as well as participants in the REDD+ Matavén Productive Projects. This cooperative plays a vital role in strengthening economic development within the region by providing a platform for Indigenous communities to commercialize their products and creating a network of local solidarity economic circuits.

Infrastructure Development:

Training and Capacity Building:

Governance and Management:

Local Economic Initiatives: