Ayni, Regenerative Food Forest in the Amazon

Dear Friends and Supporters,

We are happy to share this new update from the Peruvian Amazon. In this report, we bring you stories of our recent efforts, not only in our work with families, but also in strengthening our own team.

At the end of June, we held a Escuela de campo (or field school) in the chacra of Asunción’s family in the local community of Ocho de Octubre. These field schools are hands-on learning spaces where families deepen their knowledge while working directly on the land, joined by our team, volunteers, and trainees, who have the chance to immerse themselves in Amazonian culture. Together, we pruned, planted new trees, increased species diversity, and introduced companion plants that will naturally fertilize the soil in the months and years to come.

The chacras integrales we promote, inspired by traditional Amazonian agriculture and regenerative agroforestry practices, are a cornerstone of our work with families. Over the past months, our team has also been strengthening its own technical capacities in this field.

Thanks to a new partnership with Ecotop, a Bolivian organization dedicated to regenerative agriculture, we had the privilege of welcoming Fortunato at the end of July. His visit was important to deepen our team’s technical knowledge and to enhance the demonstration agroforestry plots at our Permaculture Center. As you may recall, our Center serves as both a demonstration and learning hub, so its continuous growth is essential for our work with Indigenous and local families.

Together with Fortunato, we also visited the Bora community of Pucaurquillo in the Amazon River basin, where families are cultivating rosewood in agroforestry systems in partnership with our close allies at Camino Verde. In the Marañón basin, we met with our agroforestry promoters and visited family chacras in Atenas and Parinari. These visits provided valuable insights that will guide us in strengthening our community outreach.

Another important focus in recent months, has been accompanying families to explore the potential of natural products made from ingredients they already have in their communities. Over one weekend, we were pleased to host women from the Huaynakana organization at our Permaculture Center for a hands-on workshop where they learned to make soaps and received basic supplies to begin experimenting on their own. Beyond the practical skills, this gathering motivated rich conversations about the plants they care for and the possibilities they hold.

We feel truly privileged to walk alongside our partner communities, and equally grateful for your continued support, which makes it possible for us to keep growing together.

With gratitude,

The Chaikuni Team