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Alliance for Sustainable Landscape & Markets: Blending Coffee Agroforestry Systems with Improved Nutrition and Forest Restoration in Chiapas
For the past 7 years, Olam has assisted impoverished farmers from Chiapas living onto marginal land adjoining conservation areas. Already working with over 3,500 coffee producers established in ‘ejidos’ across the State of Chiapas by providing them coffee seedlings and productivity assistance, tackling leaf rust and regenerating farms, Olam joined a multi-stakeholder partnership to scale up efforts with 1,400 households focusing on eliminating destructive fires, restoring natural habitats, and addressing nutritional deficiencies amongst communities. It transforms the current trajectory of general degradation into a more prosperous and sustainable future.
The Región Frailesca is a critical socio-economic region of this Mexican state of Chiapas, characterised by high agricultural and livestock production. Located between the Sierra Madre and the Central Depression of Chiapas, its altitude range and climate made this region ideal for coffee production, now considered as one of the best of the country. The indigenous presence, mostly Tsotsiles and Tseltales, established themselves in 'ejidos’ following a resettlement programme from the Government to rebuild a safer future and prosperous livelihood mostly turned towards coffee production.
TRANSFORMATION GOALS
Transformation of the social, economic and environmental dimensions in this landscape will be achieved through:
An extensive effort of restoration of degraded ecosystems into natural forest habitats and productive agroforestry systems: to revert the current trend of increasing cases of uncontrolled fire events, the result of climate change in the area.
A pursued engagement with coffee producers: A better land use management of their collective land combined to access to higher-value markets, better knowledge and improved skills will boost the economic viability of coffee farming.
A more diverse diet: The promotion of alternative income-generating fresh products will counteract the adverse effects of imbalanced nutrition commonly found in this region.
PATHWAY TO SCALE
The project targets 1,400 coffee households from 10 ejidos originally part of Olam supply chain and an additional 900 producers directly supported by Rainforest Alliance, but it aspires to expand to over 30 communities located along the slopes of biodiversity hotspots of 2 UNESCO biospheres.
The spill over from collective efforts to promote the quality and inclusiveness of this coffee to national and international markets.
Collaboration with academics on spawning improved diets from local crop diversification will draw lessons shared and replicated nationally.
2,000ha of restored natural forest ecosystems will establish a defensive stronghold for the larger mountainous chain of Sierra Madre de Chiapas against uncontrolled forest fires and adverse climate change impacts.
This project builds the right dynamics between actors that can be scaled up to other sensitive landscapes, according with the Mexican NDC commitments and the local context.
TRACKING TRANSFORMATION
for your specific goals
PROSPEROUS FARMERS
Oct 2019
0
2022 Target
556
Number of farming households adopting income diversification activities* (Using % as well)
THRIVING COMMUNITIES
Oct 2019
20%
2022 Target
60%
% Women achieving Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women*
REGENERATING THE LIVING WORLD
Oct 2019
0 ha
2022 Target
2,000 ha
Degraded area restored into forest habitats or agroforestry systems.
PROSPEROUS FARMERS
Oct 2019
12%
2022 Target
75%
Percentage of farming households achieving a Living Income*
THRIVING COMMUNITIES
Oct 2019
0%
2023 Target
100%
Number of youth participating demonstrating leadership
REGENERATING THE LIVING WORLD
Oct 2019
0 ha
2022 Target
10,000 ha
# of hectares under land use management
What they are saying
Edgar Gonzalez Godoy Rainforest AlliancCountry Directore Mexico
Dr. Gilber Nutrition Faculty Director, UniCACh
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