In the Huallaga River basin, more than 2000 producers are working to produce cocoa of exceptional quality and, at the same time, conserve the region's forests. Their work focuses not only on the taste of the product, but also on the background of its harvest, seeking to achieve sustainable cocoa production.
On June 21, the launch of the project “Conserving forests in the central Huallaga with sustainable and climate-smart cocoa production” took place. This initiative, which will have an impact on 8000 hectares of forest, is led by the cooperative ACOPAGRO and the NGO Solidaridad, with the support and co-financing of the Amazon Business Alliance, a platform promoted by USAID, the Government of Canada and Conservation International, which promotes the development of sustainable businesses in the Peruvian Amazon.
Cacao is one of Peru’s most important products and is a symbol for the San Martin region. For this reason, the ACOPAGRO cooperative is committed to promoting this production chain and, more importantly, to using it as a tool to address deforestation in the region. This will be achieved by implementing agroforestry systems and providing adequate training and technical assistance to cocoa producers, increasing productivity by 20%.
The project aims to conserve more than 8000 hectares of residual forest on the farms, promote organic certification and fair trade, and comply with new global market regulations in terms of environmental conservation. In addition, the project seeks to promote the inclusion of women and young people in the production process by providing inclusive technical assistance and training on gender issues.
The presentation ceremony was attended by the general manager of the ACOPAGRO cooperative, Gonzalo Ríos; the manager of Solidaridad’s Cacao Program; the president of ACOPAGRO’s Board of Directors, Gilberto Rodríguez; and the manager of Public-Private Alliances of the Amazon Business Alliance, Ivo Encomenderos, among other representatives of various institutions.
"Many allies are here, and we are very proud of that. We are going to give all our strength to ensure that this project meets its objectives and that our producer partners, who already conserve the forests, continue to be strengthened and trained so that, in addition to achieving zero deforestation, we can guarantee the profitability and productivity of their farms," says Gonzalo Ríos, general manager of ACOPAGRO. Faced with a changing market, he stresses the importance of adapting, changing the strategy and strengthening the model to face the new challenges.
“if we do not include social and environmental management in business management, we will not achieve the quality we are looking for and we will not be sustainable. These three elements are inseparable, and models like this one take them into account.”
As part of the event, five motorcycles were delivered to the producers, which will not only improve their working conditions, but also mark the beginning of a collaboration that will benefit more than 2000 people and contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The ACOPAGRO cooperative joins the portfolio of the Amazon Business Alliance (www.alianzaempresarialamazonia.pe), demonstrating that economic growth and sustainability can move forward together.
