Centro de Educacion y Tecnologia, Chile

Final report

Reactivation of Biodiversity areas
Protection of Native Forest
Increase genetic resource autonomy
Information dissemination
General assessment

Progress Reports

The following report is an overview of the implementation of first phase. It initially provides a summarized appraisal of outputs reached and impacts obtained, organized according to original objectives. It then summarizes the main conclusions and recommendations for further work identified by CET.

Reactivation of Biodiversity areas (Objective 1)

To reactivate the role of areas around the house as sites for the use and development of biodiversity among participating communities.

Intended output

Twenty participating families are utilizing the space around the house to recuperate and develop biodiversity

Direct outputs
  • 24 families involved with the project are now actively using the area around the house as a place for re-activating the use of biodiversity. All of them have incorporated a wide range of food, medicinal and ornamental plants, as well as tree nurseries into this area
  • 7 additional families are beginning to diversify their home areas too.
  • 75 native and 57 introduced medicinal species have been incorporated to home gardens, cultivated, reproduced or used. This has allowed the conservation and multiplication of 6 endangered species
  • 19 non-cultivated medicinal species on which little or no information on how to reproduce them existed, are now being successfully multiplied.
  • 29 native forest tree species are being multiplied in small nurseries located in this area
  • 2 traditional crops important for nutrition and food security (quinoa and linaza) were reactivated. Beans were diversified from 22 to 35 varieties; one of the reactivated varieties was the highest yielding variety of all. Only one local variety of potatoes could be reactivated.
  • 15 families are cultivating medicinal plants and seedlings of native trees for sale and for their own use. Native trees have been planted in the farm as a way to protect the soil and water sources.
Impacts

Diversity around the house was raised in all involved families, in ranges that vary from just a few species or varieties, to three times as much diversity (measured as the amount of species being cultivated or multiplied in the home area). The project however was not able to collect the necessary initial information to adequately measure the impact of this work on nutrition, income or environmental aspects. At this stage we only count with indirect forms of assessment:
  • All families in the project area are now using medicinal plants. According to testimonies, this has decreased visits to the local health post.
  • Income has been generated by selling medicinal plants, tree seedlings, seeds and food crops, especially beans. A potential of US$300 per family per year of additional monetary income due to the re-activation of biodiversity has been estimated. In many cases this may amount to more than doubling family monetary income.
  • Regarding food intake and food security, the diversification of the home area has enabled families to overcome winter food shortage. Testimonies indicate that involved families are also eating more.
  • Because the area around the house is managed by women, the generated food, medicines and income have been controlled mostly (sometimes exclusively) by women. Based on this, women have been able to organize and improve their saying in community affairs.
  • Women's work with medicinal plants has promoted other cultural expressions. One of the communities involved in the project celebrated a Ngillatun (a religious ceremony of gratitude and plead) for the first time in ten years.

 

Research products and technical papers
  • Detailed characterization of 35 bean varieties
  • A manual on multiplication of medicinal plants
  • A manual on the use of medicinal plants
  • A technical paper on the cultural knowledge and use of medicinal plants among the Mapuche.

Protection of Native Forest (Objective2)

To protect remaining native forest areas with participating communities as areas of conservation of genetic resources

Intended output

Six remaining forest areas under a community protection programme

Direct outputs:
  • 14 families are conserving forest areas within their land, comprising a total of 10.25 ha of protected native forest.
  • An inventory of 347 species has been completed, with 40 descriptors for each
  • A study of two types of forest formations and their restoration dynamics.
  • Over 30 families trained in collection of forest tree seeds and other non-timber products
  • Over 30 families (mainly women) trained in tree multiplication and maintainance of tree nurseries
  • A proposed methodology for the sustainable use and conservation of forest areas in small Mapuche farms
Impacts
  • Sale of collected forest tree seeds and other non-timber products has provided additional income per family of US$155 per year over a period of four years. Again, this alone may be doubling family income, and it is an income different from the one generated by the area around the house. Ten families have been involved in this activity
  • Besides the protected forest areas, water sources and slopes have been protected by planting trees by other 12 families
  • All involved families are now able to reproduce several species of forest trees.
  • 6 forest tree species with conservation problems at national level are now being protected within small forest areas.

 

Research products and technical papers

  • Proposed methodology for the sustainable use and conservation of forest areas in small farms.

Increase Genetic Resource Autonomy (Objective 3)

Increased autonomy to maintain, reproduce and develop local genetic resources among participating communities and families

Intended outputs

3.1 Eighty participating families trained in the utilization, conservation and development of local biodiversity

3.2 Four local community seed banks

Direct outputs

  • Well over 400 families were trained in local and non-local technologies related to use, development and conservation of biodiversity.
  • All families (over 40) which received a more permanent technical support during the project have kept on reproducing native plants and/or local varieties autonomously. No monitoring of the activities of those who received training but less regular support has been possible.
  • No community seed bank was implemented, because participating families considered them inadequate. Instead, local seed exchange networks were supported and strengthened. (see Fig. 1 and 2)
Impacts

 Participating families indicate that main impacts have been:

  • Local resources are better valued after the project
  • Simple conservation and selection techniques have been learnt
  • Quality of seeds kept by families has improved
  • Local seed exchange and supply has become more active and stronger. This impact has been confirmed by detailed study. Figure 1 shows the exchange of seeds at the beginning of the project. Figure 2 shows seed exchange networks after 4 years of implementation
  • Seeds of more species are being exchanged

 
Research products and technical papers
  • Training materials on seeds storage, seed production, use and cultivation of medicinal plants, reproduction of forest plants, new uses of cultivated food species.
  • Paper describing the dynamics and functioning of local seed exchange networks

Information Dissemination (Objective 4)

To produce and disseminate information to support improvement and multiplication of this and other similar initiatives

Intended outputs

1. [Dissemination of] specific information on:
  • Quality of reproductive stock being maintained and produced by participating communities
  • Selection and storage techniques being used or that might be used by local farmers
2. 60 persons linked to extension services and local educational institutions trained in techniques and approaches for the conservation and development of community genetic resources.

Direct outputs
  • 210 rural school-teachers and 60 extensionists trained in biodiversity conservation and utilization, and field support for the implementation of these activities provided afterwards
  • 900 university students, 330 extensionists and 715 general public trained on the same issues, but without field support afterwards
  • Collected information and methodological developments disseminated through training materials and extension journals (as mentioned above)
Impacts

There is no way to measure the impact of these activities, except for indirect evidence:
  • CET is generally regarded as a leader in biodiversity conservation at local and national level
  • Requests of information and training on biodiversity conservation have increased over time; several requests per month are received;
  • Local universities have requested short courses on biodiversity conservation. One University is currently considering setting-up a regular course with the assistance of CET staff and the CBDC Programme
  • Numerous local organizations have undertaken biodiversity activities as part of their regular activities.

 
Other outputs and impacts:
  • Links with other organizations working with biodiversity. The CBDC Project allowed CET to link up with other similar or complementary initiatives -including several networks- within Chile and Latin America
  • Participation of local farmers in local and national markets has been enhanced by their wider use of biodiversity
  • Local authorities have become interested in incorporating biodiversity in local markets
  • CET has become a source of information on biodiversity use and conservation for national legislators and authorities

General assessment

  1. General aspects
  1. All project objectives were reached, although not always through the outputs initially identified. Final outputs were often higher than foreseen in the initial proposal. Only the output of four local seed banks was not produced, but it was replaced by another which was more effective under field circumstances.
  2. The participation of local communities in the definition of project activities and priorities was key to ensure continous involvement in their implementation; it was also a key factor in technical aspects, as many of the most successful technologies were provided or improved by participating families.
  3. Linking use and conservation of biodiversity with cultural heritage allowed a much wider interest in conserving and protecting species.
  4. Also very important was to develop different strategies for different spaces within the family farm and within community territories
  5. Families permanently involved in the project improved their monetary income significantly; and participating communities indicate that the work with medicinal plants has improved the health of the community as a whole.
  6. The project was especially successful in promoting women's participation thanks to the right identification of the specific roles of women in biodiversity use and conservation; that is, their special links with medicinal plants and food crops.
  7. Another important factor of success was to approach biodiversity as a whole, without dividing between cultivated and non-cultivated diversity. This allowed a wider and clearer impact on family welfare and environmental health.
2.  Main lessons and conclusions
  1. The initial hypothesis that local culture is key for the use and conservation of biodiversity was confirmed
  2. The initial hypothesis that the area around the house is an important place for the use and conservation of biodiversity was confirmed
  3. The initial hypothesis that different areas within a farm play a different role in biodiversity conservation was confirmed.
  4. The initial hypothesis that use and conservation of biodiversity are intimately linked was confirmed.
  5. The initial hypothesis that approaching biodiversity as a whole (and not only as agricultural genetic resources) is an effective way of promoting conservation was confirmed.
  6. The initial hypothesis that protection of forest areas was enough to ensure their recuperation has been rejected. A set of active restoration techniques have been proposed but need further improvement.
  7. Women play a fundamental role in the use, development and conservation of biodiversity, even within areas normally regarded as "masculine" (i.e., field crops and tree nurseries). Future work must address gender-related aspects in a systematic way, including specific methodologies to enhance women´s participation.
  8. Lack of knowledge on ecological management and multiplication of wild species is a constraint in biodiversity activities. Although project activities allowed important developments on this, further work is needed.
  9. Links between markets and biodiversity use and conservation was not a central concern of the first phase, but must be thoroughly addressed in future work. Sale of products originated in local biodiversity had an important impact in family income. It showed the clear potential of more than doubling family monetary income, and -given the widespread poverty in the area of work- this may be a key factor for ongoing interest in conservation. However, the realization of such a potential requires a more systematic link with markets, specially local ones as those that can be more efficiently influenced to demand diversity products.
  10. If more effective links with markets will be developed and more specific ecosytemic roles is to be played by biodiversity, participatory plant breeding should be an important component of future work.
  11. It is the belief of both members of CET and participating families that the work with biodiversity has become one of the most important and effective factors of improvement of family welfare. However, the absence of good indicators of process and impact has hindered a deeper and more accurate analysis. This, in turn, may have obscured important conclusions for the improvement of future work. The identification and/or development of indicators as a first step of a second phase is therefore consider critical.
  12. The incorporation of different sectors to biodiversity conservation (universities, teachers, extension services, general public, markets) is critical for the sustainability and effectiveness of this work. CET trained through the CBDC Project over 400 families, but could do a thorough follow-up of about 30 of them. What was learned during this phase will allow a much wider coverage during a second phase, but if coverage is to be massive and remain so, biodiversity conservation must become a mainstream concern.
  13. Working through t-lines will be critical for more effectiveness in the second phase. It will demand an extra amount of work, but it will probably compensate widely.