Support native artisans & rainforest in the Amazon

Challenge

Amazon forest loss is driving species to extinction, aggravating global warming, and robbing people of unique medicines, foods and other benefits. Cutting and burning forests is often more profitable than conserving them, so some native communities in northern Peru have illegally logged and grown coca and other cash-crops to escape poverty. They most want sustainable ways to improve their income, health and education that enhance forests, respect their culture, and strengthen their communities

Solution

This project will empower women artisans in six Amazon native communities in Peru to create and sell innovative handicrafts made with sustainably harvested chambira palm fiber and natural dyes. It will also train Bora men to produce fragrant essential oils by distilling copal tree resin and leaves from rosewood and other aromatic plants. Old fields will be planted with chambira and more than 1000 rosewood tree seedlings to provide a long-term supply of raw materials for making crafts and oils.

Long-Term Impact

This project will generate sustainable income for over 100 native families by energizing their imagination, pride and traditional knowledge to create rare fragrances and unique crafts such as guitar straps woven with jungle snake patterns. They will learn new ways to protect their forest resources and rescue the rosewood tree for future generations. Communities will receive ongoing benefits as CACE returns 20% of its craft sales to support their chosen health, education and conservation needs.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources