Climate Summit: Ecuador shares experiences in forest conservation and sustainable production

The Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Production, together with representatives from international cooperation agencies, communities and the private sector highlighted in New York the achievements of the PROAmazonía program …

September 22, 2019

The Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Production, together with representatives from international cooperation agencies, communities and the private sector highlighted in New York the achievements of the PROAmazonía program.

Due to its transformative impact, reflection of the public interest and contribution to equitable and sustainable development with social, environmental and economic considerations, PROAmazonía was selected from among more than 130 proposals submitted by other countries and organizations, to organize a parallel event on September 22, within the framework of the New York Climate Summit.

The event, ‘Tasting the Flavor of the Amazon’ presented the milestones achieved so far to a community of experts and international organizations and companies linked to sustainable development.

PROAmazonía is led by the Ministries of Environment, and Agriculture and Livestock, and is supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Fund (GEF).

The Minister of Environment, Raúl Ledesma Huerta, reflected on the need for Amazonian communities to become true beneficiaries of forest wealth. He stated that for the Government of Ecuador, nature and human beings are strategic partners, since “it is not possible to conserve without producing, or produce without conserving.” “Natural resources must serve the neediest populations and be used for their well-being; human beings, for their part, should protect them, prefer them, empower them and support them to guarantee their own lives,” he said.

The Minister spoke about the international community’s co-responsibility in the stewardship of the Amazon basin, whose conservation is a global benefit. He mentioned several programs that are implemented in line with these objectives, such as PROAmazonía and Socio Bosque, which have gained international recognition but which, he said, “are not enough.” He ended his presentation by reporting on the commitments undertaken for conserving the Amazon in Leticia, after a meeting of Amazon basin countries held due to recent forest fires.

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Xavier Lazo, pointed out that Ecuador is a leading country in the transition towards sustainable, deforestation-free production and that this achievement was possible due to a dialogue with multiple stakeholders to overcome the negative connotations of agriculture and its impact on nature.

The Minister recalled that in Ecuador, 70% to 80% of agricultural production involves small and medium-sized farmers, key players in the transition and with whom the Ministry works closely through technical assistance and appropriate policies.

“The Government of Ecuador recognizes that the best way to reduce vulnerability to climate change is by incorporating agroforestry systems and biodiversity into agricultural production systems,” he said. To achieve this, the country is preparing to launch a national strategy for agricultural production, “Ecuador Premium & Sustainable”, which has four objectives: Deforestation-free production, Production Free of Poverty, Production with Empowerment of Rural Women and Production with Quality and Traceability.

The Minister concluded by saying that “Ecuador’s commitment to sustainable development is strong and consistent” and that a “sustainable future” is already a reality in Ecuador. He invited governments, private sector and international cooperation agencies to participate in the country’s new stage, entering new markets with products differentiated by their sustainable, deforestation-free and poverty-free characteristics.

A special guest, Iván Ontaneda Berrú, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries described the qualities of Ecuadorian cocoa, an example of a sustainable, deforestation-free product with great prospects on the international market.

“We want to be a benchmark country in sustainable agriculture models; we seek sustainable agribusiness based on productivity through technology and innovation,” said the minister, who highlighted the country’s comparative advantages: deforestation-free production with no child labor.

For her part, Matilde Mordt, UNDP representative in Ecuador, recalled the importance of the Amazon basin and the role it plays in maintaining critical life support systems, as the home of about half of the planet’s biodiversity and the provider of essential goods and services for climate and ecosystem functioning at local, regional and global levels. She referred in her presentation to a study of the eight Amazonian countries, published by UNDP two years ago, which showed an improvement in the nations’ performance in terms of social goals and reducing deforestation. However, she noted that there is still a gap in human development indicators, especially in rural areas, “which suggests that the goal of the 2030 Agenda of “Leaving No One Behind,” is becoming a real challenge.”

She noted the satisfaction of UNDP at being the implementing agency of PROAmazonía, and underscored the strategic importance of applying a multi-stakeholder approach to the achievement of established goals. “This is what the 2030 Agenda is all about, having multisectoral responses to complex development challenges,” she said.

Marco Grefa, manager of the WIÑAK Agroartisanal Association, presented the case of this company that unites small producers of cocoa, guayusa and bananas from Archidona canton in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The company has 257 partners and 66% participation by women.

WIÑAK shows how forests are a natural solution to climate change and a way of life for the populations that inhabit them. “We produce cocoa without deforestation, using clean and sustainable production methods according to the ancestral chakra system, which encourages a variety of crops and the conservation of biodiversity, culture and identity”, noted Grefa.

The company seeks to improve production and the living conditions of Kichwa families and communities. WIÑAK currently markets its products in Japan, Italy and the United States, with plans to increase sales through partnerships and international cooperation.

The event ended with a tasting of three brands of chocolate produced in Ecuador: WIÑAK, WAO and Blockchain.

 

Solutions for climate change

The event PROAmazonía organized took place at Nature’s Climate Hub, and was offered to governments, civil society and the private sector by UNDP, the New York Declaration of Forests (NYDF), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Youth4Nature, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Conservation International (CI) to show how nature is a solution to climate change.

The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, stated that if we do not urgently change our way of life, we will endanger life itself.

After noting that it is still not too late to limit the planet’s average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, one of the thresholds for avoiding the most catastrophic effects of global warming, Guterres explained that this “will require fundamental transformations in all aspects of society,” from how we grow food or how we use the land, to how we provide energy for our economies.

Adapting to global warming is a priority and an essential condition for increasing the resilience of countries and communities and avoiding human suffering.

This requires an acceleration of financial support. Guterres urged States to replenish the GCF and for developed countries to fulfill their commitment to mobilizing $100 billion a year from public and private sources for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.