Prepared by Holly Shiach on behalf of Madre Selva Instituto de Permacultura and Rainforest Information Centre

Madre Selva Instituto de Permacultura Tel:+593-6-780 257
Email: ecuadorwork@yahoo.com, MauroCaicedo@yahoo.com
Barrio San Martin, San Lorenzo, Esmereldas, ECUADOR

Rainforest Information Centre Tel: +61 2 6621 3294 ,
Email: johnseed1@ozemail.com.au, ecuadorwork@yahoo.com, wompee@yahoo.com
13 Wotherspoon St, Lismore, NSW 2460, AUSTRALIA

Abstract

San Lorenzo is a town that serves a population made up of Afro Ecuadorian and indigenous Awa and Chachi people. The town lies within the Choco, one of the regions of most biological diversity on Earth, containing lowland tropical jungle and the tallest mangrove systems in the world. Increasing land use for African Palm Plantations in the region are having the double edged effect of loss of biodiversity, and the movement of many people from the rural life, to the town, where many find themselves without money to buy food. San Lorenzo, like 72% of Ecuador, lies within an area zoned" unsuitable for agriculture" by the government. Madre Selva was established to investigate, demonstrate, and educate for a sustainable alternative of small-scale intensive agriculture appropriate to the region.

Description

Madre Selva Instituto de Permacultura is a project that aims to bring sustainable agriculture (tropical permaculture) to the coastal region of Ecuador. It is a demonstration site and education centre where people can see, touch, taste and study the fruits of 9 years labour of living permaculture. Madre Selva is also a site for trialing varieties of useful plants from all over Ecuador and the tropical world for distribution in the region.

Madre Selva aims to develop a substantial base and framework for agricultural plant resource conservation, providing the information and developing the skills and capacity necessary for the community to engage in sustainable agriculture in an effective way. As such, Madre Selva also plays a role in improving food security in San Lorenzo and the province of Esmereldas.

Background

Madre Selva is on the edge of the pueblo of San Lorenzo, in the province of Esmereldas (the emerald province- for its lush green), in the North West coast of Ecuador. It is a river town in an area of the tallest mangroves in the world and some of the most diverse jungle on the planet. The population is mostly Afro Ecuadorian, as well as Chachi and Awa indigenous and some mestizo people.

There has existed a concerted national and international effort to preserve the ecological, social and cultural diversity of the nor-occident of Ecuador. Many international aid agencies have been involved, among them: Rainforest Information Centre (RIC), Overseas Development Agency of Great Britain, American International Development Agency, Cultural Survival, Missouri Botanical Gardens and nationally the Unidad Tecnica Ecuatoriana del Plan Awa, Fundacion Natura, Flora and Fauna International, Ecociencia, Centro de Investigaciones de las Bosques Tropicales (CIBT) and Madre Selva Institute de Permacultura.

CIBT has been active in the province for 14 years. CIBT's work in Esmereldas formed the foundation for the development of the Madre Selva Institute. A history follows:

- The initial reports of the regional ecology and a study of the agricultural methods of the indigenous Awa that were prepared for UTEPA (Unidad Técnica Ecuatoriana del Plan Awa).
- Several nurseries and orchards were established including a large one on the grounds of FETANE (Federación Ecuatoriana de Trabajadores Autonomo Nor Occidente de Esmeraldas) in San Lorenzo.
- A sustainable timber management plan was designed and implemented for the
community of El Pan and the harvested timber was exported to the Ecological Trading Company of the UK.
-CIBT worked with the people of Playa de Oro to achieve Ethnic Reserve status for a large area of the Choco forest surrounding the community of Playa de Oro.
- Resulting from CIBTs work, in 1992, the 6400 hectare Cotacachi Cayapas Biosphere Reserve was created (the largest in Ecuador) to protect the remaining Choco forest of Nth West Ecuador and its inhabitants from deforestation. This area stretches from San Lorenzo up into Cotacachi in the mountains.
-With unsustainable forms of agriculture playing a large role in deforestation, and with the need for community aid work in the area, it was decided that a holistic approach to environmental work in the province required addressing both the peoples need for agriculture and the need for investigation of a sustainable agriculture appropriate to the area.
- In July 1992 CIBT organised a Permaculture Design Course in nearby Esmeraldas. The course was taught by Dr. Bill Mollison the founder of Permaculture. Over a hundred men and women participated, representational of much of the ethnic and social panorama of Ecuadorian society. Present were preliminary engineers, the states petroleum company, numerous government and non-government organizations and seven indigenous ethnic groups. Such was the enthusiasm and interest generated by this course that Dr.Bill Mollison declared that the International Permaculture Institute would contribute financially if the recently purchased CIBT parcel would include a Permaculture Learning Center.
- After local discussions, RIC purchased three hectares (seven acres) of land within the town of San Lorenzo in the summer of 1992. With the exception of a few large trees it was characterized by secondary re-growth of vegetation. In the cleared areas dense weed infestation proliferated. Soil pH was acid, had high clay and aluminium content and the topography was flat with poor drainage. Both were typical of the area. The Department of Agriculture insists that food production is not an available activity and their maps have classified this area as uncultivable. Unfortunately 72% of Ecuador's population lives in areas delineated as such, and have little access to the cash economy, leaving them in a difficult existence. Our intention was to create a model of intensive sustainable agriculture and a living seed bank that would be replicable and accessible to the poorest members of the community.
- A constitution of principles and goals toward conservation of genetic diversity, and, investigation, demonstration and education for sustainable agriculture was achieved. The Madre Selva Instituto de Permacultura was formed.
- During the following ten years the Madre Selva Institute consolidated the design of a productive living foodforest and seedbank on its land. Soils were improved and the land was reforested with nitrogen fixing legumes and a vast array of tropical trees and shrubs for fruits, spices, medicines, timbers, crafts and other uses, making a valued contribution to food security and conservation of genetic recourse's in the region
- Local staff were successfully trained in permaculture and on ground site management. .
- A large administrative and learning center was built on the site, including appropriate climatic design, composting toilets, simple water collection technology, and solar power.
- Various workshops and training courses have since been run there, including several courses in permaculture, including one especially for women, plus others in building home water tanks, seed saving, etc.
- Excellent community relations have been established.
-Four more hectares of land, distributed in two blocks, were bought in the vicinity of the first three original hectares in the years of 1994 and 1996. This land is now covered mostly by native trees as an endemic reserve. . - The Permacultura America Latin foundation was created in 1995 by some people from Madre Selva and CIBT, dedicating themselves to the teaching, practice and promotion of Permaculture in Latin America. This group has gone on to work in many countries of Latin America.
- From June 2000 Holly Shiach and Helen Gilmour, of the Seed Savers Network of Australia, lived and worked full time at the Institute. They worked with local staff in improving the nursery, development of seed bank infrastructures, and facilitation of community education in seed saving and banking. The aim was to improve the effectiveness of the Institutes functions in conservation. This work was undertaken as a part of the development of the Institute toward its existing goals rather than as a separate or new project. During this time staff and volunteers also worked collaboratively to assess the project and plan for its future.
- In 2001 Green Grants provided funding which enabled the building of new and improved infrastructure on site. This included construction of a new road into the site, improving community access, a new large rainwater collecting system that collects and stores clean water for use on site and for neighbours who do not have access to clean drinking water, and other improvements.
- 2001 -2002 has seen operations continue in conservation, multiplication and distribution of plants. Fruit sales have also been a major part of recent operations, providing a diversity of fresh, healthy produce in an area where fruit and vegetables have previously been scarce.

Partners and supporters

Madre Selva has been generously supported by Centro de Investigaciones de los Bosques Tropicales of Ecuador, and the Rainforest Information Centre of Australia since its inception. Other recent supporters include Green Grants, Seed Savers Network of Australia, The Beach Hotel of Byron Bay, Thursday Plantations of Ballina. Madre Selva also has a circle of supporters around the world who have helped the project as volunteers over time.

2003 Objectives

1)Continue to achieve results in conservation of plant resources, through:
- maintaining the Institutes grounds as a living seed bank
- maintaining the Institutes indoor Seed Bank
- ongoing program of sourcing, multiplying, trialing, and distributing useful plant materials
- plant and seed sales
- recording plant cultural and botanical information for purposes in education, science, and protection of intellectual property rights on indigenous plants

2)Continue to achieve results in strengthening of local and regional food security, by :
- food plant distribution and sales
- fruit sales
- education on site and by outreach activities

3) Broaden outreach capacity by promotion of the services of the Institute, through:
- development of a flyer
- participation in national events, for example the national Feria de Semillas/ Seed Fair
- promotion through colleges, universities and farmers groups
- development of a web site, with links to other relevant local and international web sites

4) Improve financial sustainability by increasing income generation on site, by:
- producing a 2003 - 2008 business plan, in relation to consolidating the following activities:
- increasing nursery sales and fruit sales
- maintaining international volunteer and student programs
- investigating feasibility of a value-added borojo project
- export of seed
- sales of plant material through Probio (national organic certifier) as producer for the coastal tropical region of Ecuador
- educational tours for colleges etc
- development of internship program
- tourism

Current staffing and operations

*Nursery manager /on site education: Frisman Medina of San Lorenzo
- propagate plants for sale and distribution to communities, and to use on Madre Selva
- maintain the nursery area
- maintain stocks of nursery supplies
- maintain a program of producing germination mix and potting up mix
- manage plant sales
- manage drop in visitors
- manage on site education (ie colleges, farmers groups, tours, etc)
- undertake outreach activities in other communities as required
- participate in training as instructor as required

*Grounds person / Guardian: Aldelmo Guarajundo of San Lorenzo
- undertake general farm maintenance and improvements(eg. slashing, planting, making compost, pruning, path maintenance, trellis construction)
- fruit harvest and sales
- triciclo transport needs (eg for fruit sales, transport of materials)
- facilitate site security
- work with and train volunteers as required
- participate in training as instructor as required

*Public Relations/ Lecturer: Victor Grueso of San Lorenzo
- plan and manage community relations and outreach
- establish relations with other projects with a view to beneficial partnerships
- collaborate on production of a flyer to promote Madre Selvas services
- promote services of Madre Selva in local, provincial and national communities
- plan and promote workshops and training events
- facilitate and lecture at training events
- volunteer communications, orientation, support, and management
- intern program management

*Director: Mauro Caicedo of Playa del Oro
- participate on Madre Selva Committee
- facilitate planning, including production of 2003 - 2008 business plan
- manage operations
- manage finances
- undertake record keeping
- manage seed bank (germination testing, seed sourcing, collecting, cleaning, drying, storing, record keeping, planning for multiplication and distribution)
- maintain office, library and plant files
- communications and report writing

.
2003 Budget in US$
Nursery $1500
Seed Bank $ 600
Site maintenance $1500
Promotions $ 800
Education $1500
Business Plan $ 600
Intern, student and volunteer programs $ 800

Total $7300

Sponsor benefits
· Support environmental aid work which values local communities and aims to capacitate and employ local staff in all aspects of the project.
· Support development of food security in a vunerable, disadvantaged and impoverished community.
· Support the conservation of genetic resources at a major centre of the Earths diversity.
· Support a holistic approach to rainforest conservation that works from a major source of the problem of deforestation (unsustainable forms of agriculture), and makes an ongoing and genuine commitment to working with local communities to investigate and develop sustainable and meaningful alternatives, from the ground up.
· Your donation is tax deductable
· Thanks for your support through theupcoming Madre Selva web address on the RIC website, and through international information and fundraising events.

For Further Information

Rainforest Information Centre welcomes the opportunity to further discuss this funding proposal. Please contact:

John Seed
Director
Rainforest Information Centre
Phone: 02 6621 3294