Combating Deforestation in Bolivia with Sustainable Agroforestry Systems

Bolivia has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world and is home to some of the richest terrestrial ecosystems in terms of biodiversity. From the Andes to the Amazon, a major challenge is to avoid the extension of the agricultural frontier and preserve forests through the integrative use of safs, thus maintaining their ecosystem services.

Resource Use in the Bolivian Andes: Migrant Monocultures vs. Indigenous Sustainability

In the foothills of the Bolivian Andes, we see two different visions of resource use:

1. migrants from the Andes, who have been burning the forest and implementing monocultures for approximately 60 years; and
2. local indigenous peoples (Mosetenes, Lecos, Chimanes, Tacanas and others) who practice subsistence agriculture in lowlands complemented by hunting and gathering.

The former have entered into a “fallow crisis” where soils are depleted, production is low, attacks by pests and diseases are constantly increasing, and the use of agrochemicals. The challenges are worsened by climate change, which manifests itself in extreme climatic events, prolonged droughts and the abrupt increase in heat that affects working conditions.

Sustainable Farming: Promoting Unburned Highland Rice and Dynamic Agroforestry

The current phase of the project provides follow-up to the families of farmers with Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF), on the management of wooden trees (pruning at height and management of DAF systems from 10 to 20 years old). In cooperation with the Palos Blancos Municipality, campaigns are organised for the production of unburned highland rice and the promotion of dynamic agroforestry. On-farm research quantifying the effect of pruning accompanying tree species on cocoa production is carried out in cooperation with the research project SysCom Sara Ana-FIBL.