The “Cocoa Agroforestry Project” is part of our “Activity 6: Productivity Projects” which objective is to guarantee food security and create better and new economic & business opportunities for RIU-SM indigenous families.
During the First Phase of the “Cocoa Project”, 100 indigenous families participated in the Project: together we built a nursery and planted 100 hectares of cocoa and plantain; and in alliance with FEDECACAO we provided them with training and technical assistance.
Although they have had challenges of weed management/control, they have actively worked to keep their conucos in very good condition, currently the cocoa plants are healthy and are between 50cm and 1.5m, and plantain plants are between 50cm and 3m
As a result of these indigenous families’ commitment, work and unity, this Project has become a viable program and we are about to start the Second Phase:
- We will continue providing training workshops with a special emphasis on good harvest and postharvest practices: pruning, grafting, fertilization and disease control for assuring a good quality of cocoa.
- We will begin measuring and reporting processes, in collaboration with Fedecacao, putting in place an inventory of the plants and the production.
- We will reinforce the development of the COOMATAVEN cooperative, to encourage the participation of indigenous women.
Our Mataven REDD+ Project is a participatory process, we work hand in hand with RIU-SM indigenous communities to tackle climate change, stop deforestation, protect their tropical forests & reduce CO2 global emissions – while safeguarding their rich biodiversity and improving their well-being.