Ayni, Regenerative Food Forest in the Amazon

Dear friends and supporters,

We hope this new year is finding you with renewed energy, surrounded by the people and moments that matter most to you. Here in the Peruvian Amazon, we are beginning the year with a deep sense of purpose and a renewed commitment to regeneration of the rainforest, of knowledge, and of the relationships that sustain this work.

In November, we held an inspiring Dynamic Agroforestry workshop at our Permaculture Center. As you may recall from our previous report, this workshop was part of our ongoing partnership with Ecotop, a Bolivian organization with more than 20 years of experience in regenerative agriculture. Through this collaboration, we aim to strengthen the agroforestry capacities of the families we work with, our own team, and the agroforestry plots at our Center, which also serve as key learning and demonstration spaces.

Over the course of a week, local families, Indigenous representatives, and allied organizations came together at the Chaikuni Center. Starting from bare ground, we established a new agroforestry plot while sharing knowledge, learning from one another, and strengthening bonds. Participants applied the principles of dynamic agroforestry, exploring how plants support and communicate with each other, and how abundance and diversity play a central role in naturally restoring soil health. The impact of the workshop was clear: participants left motivated, grateful for what they had learned, and committed to sharing these practices within their own communities.

Just a few weeks later, during our technical assistance visit to communities along the Marañón River basin, we were able to see those commitments taking shape. Families were eager to adapt what they had learned, experimenting with what they proudly called their “Chaikuni-style” chacras. During this final visit of the year, we continued reinforcing key agroforestry concepts while also learning from the families themselves. Many expressed interest in continuing developing skills such as grafting and incorporating a greater diversity of citrus and fruit trees into their plots. It is deeply encouraging to see families reconnecting with ancestral knowledge, embracing diversity in their chacras, and seeking new ways to practice regenerative agriculture.

More than 13 years ago, we set out with the purpose of contributing to the regeneration of the Amazon. Today, we are grateful to continue this work together - with local families, Indigenous representatives, like-minded organizations, and supporters from around the world. May this year bring renewal and growth not only to the forests we care for, but also to your own lives. Thank you for being part of this path toward regeneration.

With gratitude,

The Chaikuni Team