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Two days of exchanging experiences and capacity building in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) were organized by the Verdecanandé company and the forest advisers and forest verifiers of the National Forest Directorate of the Ministry of Environment (MAE), technicians from the Undersecretariat of Forest Production and the Amazon Productive Transformation Agenda (ATPA) project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), under an institutional agreement signed in March 2019, between MAE and the Verdecanandé company. This agreement seeks to support national efforts for reducing deforestation and the degradation of natural forests, and the mitigation of climate change, through the implementation of a Sustainable Forest Management Model in areas where Verdecanandé operates.
45 technicians participated in the workshops, which were held in the company’s operating area on Cristóbal Colón campus in Malimpia parish, Quinindé canton, Esmeraldas province. Relevant SFM issues were discussed, such as the development of a comprehensive management plan, techniques for reducing the impacts of forestry activity, post-harvest monitoring, industrialization, plantation management and forest certification. The first day was held between November 05 and 09, and the next took place between November 18 and 22.
The experience included theoretical and practical sections, with visits to native forest and balsa and oil palm agroforestry systems, as well as the Verdecanandé balsa plantation. In the “Tesoro Escondido” Reserve, where years ago a low-impact forest harvest was carried out, techniques such as directed logging, sawmilling using specialized machinery, and movement of planks by overhead cables were analyzed. The recovery of the forest after the intervention could be seen, as well as monitoring carried out by the company through the establishment of permanent plots. Field practical activities were carried out to evaluate post-harvest silvicultural possibilities and the best silvicultural practices, based on assessment, and remnant and silvicultural sampling.
The company’s plant was also visited, where the reception and processing of balsa for commercialization was observed, as well as the hardwood processing section, involving various local species that are already in demand internationally. The establishment of the plant has generated about 70 jobs for community members, including women who serve as area chiefs.
Verdecanandé S.A. is a forestry company with private and community investors. It is located in the buffer zone of the Cotacachi – Cayapas reserve in the Ecuadorian Chocó, and its goal is to achieve forest conservation and strengthen the local economy through sustainable forest management.
The day ended with a commitment by the participants to promote and replicate what they learned in their professional activities. These were days of mutual learning and articulation.
This exchange of experiences was supported by the Comprehensive Amazon Program for Forest Conservation and Sustainable Production (PROAmazonía), which works together with MAE and MAG to promote forest conservation and reduce deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
