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CAYAMBE PERMACULTURE
One of the main engines driving the destruction of natural systems in South America (indeed, throughout the world) is unsustainable agricultural systems. Centro de Investigacion de los Bosques Tropicales has addressed this with several permaculture projects, demonstrating and teaching sustainable agriculture from the Amazon to the Andes. Here is a report and funding proposal from the first of these: Permacultura Cayambe. Very small inputs of funds can reap huge benefits when the likes of project director Jefferson Meecham are concerned.
STATEMENT OF MISSION: CIBT - PERMACULTURA CAYAMBE
Deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices, inequitable land tenure, and unjust socio-economic stuctures are among the chief factors for the severe land degradation in the Ecuadorian Andes that is forcing its rapidly growing population to migrate to the already overcrowded cities, or to seek new lands by colonizing the virgin rainforests of the adjacent Amazon and Choco, the richest and most diverse ecosystems on Earth. This wave of colonization is a major cause of tropical forest destruction that threatens the cultural survival of rainforest tribal peoples, the mass extiction of thousands of species, and accelerated global climate change and ecological deterioration that jeopordizes our own survival as a civilization.
As an alternative to the spreading desertification promoted by current land use practices, we seek to develop socio-economically viable strategies for rehabilitating the life-support capacity of Ecuador's most populous region (the Andes), thus reducing the pressure for colonization of intact rainforest. In sum, we propose the restoration of degraded lands as an antidote to the ruinous exploitation of virgin ones. If the immense human energies directed at destructive colonization could be channeled to restorative inhabitation, we could create an abundance in rural communities that would obviate the need for emigration. Permaculture offers a means for doing just that.
Our "mission" is to work in cooperation with local popular organizations, indigenous communities, and anyone interested in promoting ecosystem and cultural regeneration by developing alternative educational and economic opportunities specifically adapted to the conditions of marginalized communities in the Ecuadorian Andes. The creation of permaculture research & demonstration sites and learning centers on degraded lands in the Cayambe region will serve as the initial geographic nuclei for replicating these in other areas as part of a long-term sustainable development process.
PROJECT SUMMARY (1991-1996)
Cayambe is a glaciated volcano which, at 5970 meters, is the highest point on the Earth's equator. It is also the crown jewel of the 403,000 hectare Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve (harboring a stunning biodiversity with life zones ranging from 800 to 5970 meters elevation) and the namesake of the Cayambi indigenous culture which dates back thousands of years. The Cayambis were a sophisiticated agricultural society that had developed dozens of varieties of crops which were managed in polycultures which sustainably supported a dense population over many centuries. Forest conservation, agroforestry systems, terraces, chinampas and irrigation networks were well developed technologies which have been lost and/or destroyed since the time of conquest and colonization, beginning about 500 years ago.
Centuries of exploitation of land and the indigenous peoples who were enslaved to work it under the Spanish hacienda system and its successors has left both the land and people in an impoverished condition. The abundant forests and agricultural systems of the Cayambis and other andean cultures have been severely degraded, along with the traditional knowledge and social systems necessary to maintain them. Only with the birth of the indigenous and environmental movements, both within the last generation, has their been a rebirth of consciousness about the necessity of an ecological and cultural renaissance in the Andes, the continent's most damaged region.
In 1990, representatives of the provincial indigenous federation "Pichincha Runacunapac Riccharimui" ("to awaken the indigenous peoples of Pichincha") sought the assistance of the CIBT in search of practical solutions to the deforestation, soil erosion, land degradation and related socioeconomic problems endemic in its member communities. Based upon this invitation the project "Permacultura Cayambe" was developed and began operating in 1991.
The vision has been to recover the traditional stewardship ethic and technologies of indigenous culture as the basis for the regeneration of ecological and economic conditions in their communities. The ecological design system of permaculture provides a practical framework to accomplish this end. We recognize that this is a long term process, thus the project was conceived as a "pilot process" with the following specific objectives:
1. To develop examples of sustainable agriculture and ecological regeneration (permaculture) in Cayambe.
2. To train community members in the many aspects of permaculture so that they can develop their own systems in their communities.
3. To promote the development of local organizations capable of implementing their own permaculture and related projects for the benefit of their communities.
In spite of limited financial and human resources, we were able to accomplish the following:
1. Development of permaculture pilot sites and programs
* Creation of an alternative school in the indigenous community of ChitaChaca ("Goat Bridge" in Quichua) that initiated classes in October 1992 within the bilingual indigenous education program. Our support was a participatory process with the community, including construction of the school, bridge, road and development of the community permaculture site (1 hectare) with the following elements:
- water and soil conservation systems,
- agroforestry with native tree species,
- Andean green manure crops for soil regeneration,
- infrastructure for an aquaculture system,
- the development of an ecotourism program that supports site development undertaken communally by the schoolchildren and their parents.
The land is held in a "land trust" model (the first in Ecuador) with the school and community named as the permanent beneficiaries within the framework of permaculture land stewardship guidelines.
* Creation of a regional permaculture demonstration and training center in Cayambe on a tiny (360 square meter) degraded lot to prove that abundant sustainable production is not dependent on land size, as this is only 3.6% of the average land size of indigenous peasant farmers (1 hectare) in this region. This center was developed with indigenous apprentices using economical methods, including the following components:
- greenhouse and tree nursery where we produced over 30 native multipurpose species on a "family scale" but with a production of over 10,000 plants per year on only 100 square meters.
- rainwater harvest system for the nursery and for a self-sustaining microscale aquaculture system including carp, water hyacinth, watercress, water lilies and frogs.
- Multistory biointensive polyculture gardens producing vegetables, andean fruits and medicinals and fodder for the cuyes (guinea pigs) which allowed us to be nearly self-sufficient on the center's vegetable needs.
- Compost and worm culture systems that recycled all kitchen wastes, cuy manure, weeds, etc. into production of compost and humus for the garden and nursery.
- Cuy (native to the Andes) production in solar pens; giant cuys distributed throughout area communities on a "reproduction payback" basis.
The center was the heart of an integrated agricultural improvement program including components in soil regeneration, organic fertilizers, earthworm culture, small animals, medicinal plants and native trees.
* Development of a tree nursery, reforestation, school gardening and farmer training programs in the indigenous community of San Pablo Urcu (Olmedo).
- The tree nursery provided plants for the reforestation of the community's watershed which had been deforested, burned and overgrazed resulting in the drying up of the community's chief water supply. Today the area is protected, replanted and the water flow has already significantly improved.
- Schoolchildren were taught in organic gardening methods and farmers in soil conservation, composting and windbreak establishment.
- In October 1996 we held an international permaculture course (supported by Future Earth - Sweden) at San Pablo Urcu in which the community designed their community nursery and experimental farm which is currently under development under the direct administration of the community.
- San Pablo Urcu is currently undertaking an andean native crops biodiversity project supported by a grant from the United Nations which we helped the community formulate in 1994.
* Reforestation program in the indigenous community of San Antonio (Cangahua).
- We obtained the funding, trained the nursery workers and provided technical support to the indigenous NGO "Centro de Apoyo Comunitario ALLPA PACARI" who directly carried out and administered the project in coordination with the Union de Comunidades Indigenas de Cangahua .
2. Training of community members in permaculture and related areas
* Sponsorship of scholarships (25 sponsored) for indigenous youth and leaders to attend local, regional, national and international courses on permaculture, sustainable development, ecological agriculture, etc., including an Ecological Agriculture course in Sweden (1992), Permaculture courses in Mexico (1992, 1995), as well as the permaculture courses sponsored by the CIBT at regional, national & international levels here in Ecuador.
* Courses, seminars, workshops and eductional programs (12 in all) sponsored and organized by the project including the first Permaculture Course in the Andes and the environmental education-arts program "Inti Raymi Cayambi" with the All Species Project about andean native forests, species and traditional agriculture.
* Organization and sponsorship of numerous training days, field trips, cultural exchanges, etc.
* Production of educational materials:
- Manual de Diseo Permacultural (Abya-Yala, Quito, 1994), the first permaculture design manual published in Spanish.
- Inti Raymi Cayambi environmental education curriculum for the bilingual indigenous schools of Cayambe.
* Residential apprenticeship program for youth and leaders from the indigenous communities of Cayambe who lived with me at the center receiving daily hands-on practical training in nursery production, organic gardening, agroforestry, permaculture design, project administration, etc. This program has been one of the most important elements of the project. As a tiny enterprise working under adverse conditions with little funding and without motorized transport nor our own land base, this strategy developed organically, allowing us to train indigenous permaculturists to multiply our efforts. Eight intensive live-in apprentices and four international students participated in the program. Most have gone on to develop projects in their communities including San Pablo Urcu, ChitaChaca, Santa Isabel, San Antonio.
3. Local organizational development
* Organizational and technical support for the indigenous federation Pichincha Runacunapac Riccharimui (PRR), especially for bilingual, youth and environmental education conferences and programs.
* Assistance in the formation of the Union de Comunidades Indigenas de Juan Montalvo - UCIJUM (affiliated with PRR) and training support for its first leaders.
* Technical and material support to the UCIJUM womens' project working in 7 communities in handicraft, gardening and small-scale economic projects.
* Support for the formation of local indigenous NGO's which were the initiative of the participants in the permaculture apprenticeship program:
- Centro de Apoyo Comunitario "Allpa Pacari"
- Fundacion Anhelo
FUTURE PROSPECTS
The role of the project has been to catalyze a long-term process. The indigenous organizations and projects mentioned are now all locally-run initiatives independent of the CIBT. Since there is still a long way to go for these to be self-sustaining, Permacultura Interandina was formed as a consulting, training & support group for these newly independent indigenous projects, as well as for outside teaching and consulting jobs.
Based upon the work in Cayambe, the regional indigenous federation of the Ecuadorian Andes ECUARUNARI has asked me to be their technical advisor and that the apprenticeship program initiated in Cayambe be continued on a wider scale, permanent and more formal basis. We're currently investigating the requirements to form as a recognized educational institute in the areas of andean permaculture and ecological regeneration.
To accomplish this we seek support with a small seed grant of approx. USD 9,000 to document the Cayambe Project (1991-96) as the basis for developing the proposal for the Andean "Institute". This would allow us to graphically present our work and to produce a complete development proposal to be submitted to major funding institutions.
Also, a similarly small amount of funding would allow us to improve, publish and distribute the environmental education curriculum to indigenous organizations and education programs in the Andes region.
Jefferson Mecham
Permacultura Interandina (PermAndina)
Casilla 17-12-192
Quito - Ecuador
Tel/Fax: (+593-2) 520-631