Expo-Conference 2002 - Living Cultures for Sustainable Development.

Cotacachi and Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, September 2002 -

This conference and exposition is intended to showcase the concrete example of sustainable (organic, fair trade) coffee production among a range of ecological and socially just alternatives intended to help pave the way to a sustainable future on a local, national and international level. A two day exposition and conference will take place both in Cotacachi (2 hours north of Quito) and Bahia de Caraquez (on the mid coast) in Ecuador in September 2002.

The two conference and expo sites represent a large part of the unique biodiversity and cultural diversity of Ecuador. Cotacachi contains some of the greatest and most precious biodiversity on the planet and Bahia is endowed with mangroves, dry tropical forest and coastal ecosystems. Both municipalities have declared their towns as ´ecological´, are led by nationally recognised young and dynamic leaders and have offered their full support to this initiative.

Understanding that environmental protection will be unlikely to succeed without an intergrated conservation and development approach, events will feature organic-fair trade and community ecotourism as feasible options for income production without destructive environmental impact. Alternatives intended to raise the quality of life with minimal economic input will also be displayed.

Lessons learnt and networks developed in organising a highly successful alternative development expo that took place in Cotacachi in April 2000 and saw the particiation of 40 NGOs from 5 regions of Ecuador, will provide the base to organise even more extensive and empowering events for September 2002.

This proposal seeks financial support for organising costs within Ecuador. Sponsorship for international presenters and translators will be sought with the aid of NGOs in Japan.

The decision to hold the 3^rd international sustainable (organic, fair trade) coffee conference in Cotacachi, Ecuador was made following the 2^nd conference in Brazil in 2000. In the process of the international discussion on global organic, fair trade it has become apparent that we need something that goes beyond these definitions and approaches a system that actively sets out to protect nature along with meeting legitimate development aspirations of local peoples. For this reason we are introducing the term ´sustainable´ coffee in this conference.

The previous organic coffee conferences have taken place in Japan (1998) and Brazil (2000) and have seen the participation of many international representatives. The initiator and main organiser, Ryuichi Nakamura, is the pioneer of trading organic coffee into Japan and he and his company (Organic coffee Japan) will once again play a major role in organising the event.

The conference and expo will coincide with the People´s Assembly of Cotacachi, an annual event that forms the basis of the participatory democracy of the County of Cotacachi, more about which is described below.

A second conference and expo will also take place in the Eco-City of Bahia De Caraquez on the coast of Ecuador immediately following the events in Cotacachi. In this case the focus will be on the world first example of a certified organic shrimp farm, modeled on permaculture principles and eco-tourism. Fair trade and other alternative development options will also be highlighted in events in Bahia.

Cotacachi is a region (Canton) and town located in the Andean north of Ecuador whose communities (indigenous, mestizo and afroecuatorian) have been actively involved in a participatory democratic process initiated by their indigenous Mayor, Auki Tituana Males.

The county of 1809 km2, contains extremely threatened ecosystems - according to E.O. Wilson, it has two of the world´s 25 threatened hot spots of biodiversity on the planet. The rate of plant diversity and forest destruction in these areas far surpasses those of the Ecuadorean Amazon.

The process of colonisation has had the greatest impact on natural systems to date, but there is an increasing threat of exploitative industries, such as mining. Mining prospecting and exploration has already taken place in threatened cloud forest ecosystems and has been backed by Japanese ODA and the World Bank. This has typically taken place without the participation or support of the communities involved.

Communities in Cotacachi have actively sought and initiated alternatives to destructive development. One great success in this endeavour is the marketing of organic, shade grown coffee through a cooperative with more than 300 member families. Exports to Japan have already provided a solid alternative income generating option to the extremely poor communities in the Intag region of Cotacachi.

Through the participatory political process, the people of Cotacachi have unanimously voted for the region to be declared a 'Canton Ecologico', have passed stringent ecological ordinances and initiated projects that promote the Canton Ecologico on both a local and international level. These environmental ordinances lay the foundation of a legal mechanism to protect the County´s natural resources and support the creation of a sustainable society in Cotacachi by guiding an integrated conservation and management plan that benefits communities and nature.

The area of Cotacachi, due to its advanced social and ecological awareness, is an ideal model area for development systems that are ecologically and socially benign. We are proposing to showcase cutting edge initiatives from around the world to inspire and empower not only local communities, but guests from other parts of Ecuador and the world.

Local residents and politicians, with the support of international environmental groups, decided to reconstruct the popular seaside resort town in an environmentally sensitive way and in 1999 the Bahia was declared an ecocity. Thanks to the important activities of various groups and individuals already working with eco-projects this had an excellent head start. Paper recycling, organic waste recycling, permaculture and reforestation efforts that were already taking place were augmented by new projects. Current activities now include:

1. Five paper recycling groups.( recycling by hand )
2. A reforestation project on all the hillsides of Bahia
3. Reforestation in María Auxiliadora a neighborhood which was completely devastated in the el niño phenomeon and where twenty people lost their lives.
4. Fanca childrens´ ecoclub
5. "Fanca Produce " – a project to recycle all organic waste from households, create compost and then cultivate fruit trees which are later planted in their sections.
6. Ecomarket. The town market separates the organic and inorganic waste. The organic is taken to Encarnación Organic Farm for composting. The compost is later used in the municipal plant nursery.
7. Encarnación Farm, composting site and organic farm producing raw material for organic shrimp food.
8. The organic shrimp farm. The first certified organic farm in the world is not only a productive farm but a wildlife refuge.
9. Environmental Education Program to date 1700 children have been taken on an field trip to visit the ecomarket, Encarnación and Saiananda Park
10. Cerro Seco Tropical Dry forest reserve. This is a privately owned reserve on the hills behind Bahia.
11. Rio Muchacho Organic / Permaculture farm.
12. Rio Muchacho Community Environmental School.
13. Street planting in Bahia-
14. Mangrove reforestation in the Estuary.

Many future projects are planned and the conference and expo will be an excellent opportunity to promote support for these important initiatives.

Ecuador Project Coordinator: Anja Light, Rainforest Information Centre.

Cotacachi organising team, Flor Maria Vaca, Sonja Dillman, Kaia Ambrose plus representatives of various Assembly committees and local NGO´s.

Bahia Organising team, Nicola Mears, Marcelo Luque, Flor Maria Dueno, Patricio Tamariz.

Organisations:

National

Assemblea de Cotacachi, Municipality of Cotacachi, Defensa de Ecologia Y Conservacion de Intag (DECOIN), Associacion de Café Culturas de Intag (AACRI) Centro de Investigaciones de Los Bosques Tropicales (CIBT), Union de Organiziciones Campesinas e Indigenas de Cotacachi (UNORCAC), Federation of Barrios of Cotacachi, ,

Bahia; Municipality of Canton Sucre, Foundation Stuarium, Club Ceiba

Quito: Camari, SINTRAL

International:

Organic Coffee Japan, Sloth Club Japan, Global Village/The Fair Trade Company Japan, Planet Drum Foundation, Rainbow Power Company (Australia), Earth Steward Institute (Japan), Permaculture Institute Japan and Australia, Sane, International Life and Food Organisation (ILFA).

C) PROMOTION/MEDIA

D) FINANCES

Cotacachi Proposed basic program:

Peoples Assembly

Opening Ceremony (Plenary)

Presentation based events.

SUSTAINABLE COFFEE , Case studies from Rio Intag, Brazil, Mexico, Japan.

FAIR TRADE including Organic Production ,

COMMUNITY ECO-TOURISM

Workshop based events.

CANTON ECOLOGICO – Displaying examples of eco-cities, discussing implications of environmental ordinances, green politics.

ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS including:

LETS (SINTRAL), Permaculture, Community Seed Banks, Recycling Waste, Native Tree Reforestation, Promoting nutrition and ecological health, Renewable energy, education.