FORESTRY OPERATIONS IN CAJAMARCA, PERU

Luis A. NOVOA ROBLES, ADEFOR, Peru

Institutional profile

For more than 25 years, ADEFOR, in tune with its origins and history, has organized its forest activity with a commercial or industrial focus as an economic, social and ecologically profitable activity.

The politics of the Institution is based on a strategy designed to boost social investment, implementing many concrete measures in order to allow the incorporation of the community with the private effort, so as to make the development process possible.

Organization

General Assembly
Directive Council
Executive Management
Production Management and Investigation Management
Organs of Support

Institutional objectives

ADEFOR promotes the realization of activities of afforestation and industrialization of wood, conservation of biological diversity, protection and sustainable use of flora and native fauna species and, in general, activities of scientific and biotechnical development.

ADEFOR encourages investment and participation in forestry activities by means of mechanisms sui generis of property.

ADEFOR contributes to the generation of an environmental conscience in society by the development of education and training programmes in environmental topics.

ADEFOR exchanges information, technology and human resources with other national and/or foreign institution that pursue similar goals.

ADEFOR carries out investigations into forestry, handling, use and forest transformation, prioritizing species and areas of importance and industrial potential.

ADEFOR also offers services to supply seeds, wood and non-wood products related to the forest, regeneration of areas with grass, and the establishment, handling, use and transformation of forest plantations.

ADEFOR offers training services and consultantships specializing in forest matters, agronomy-forest, restitution and conservation of the environment.

Specialized areas

• Forest investigation
• Afforestation
• Regeneration of grassy areas
• Ecology
• Specialized training
• Forest seeds and native grasses
• Genetic improvement
• Silvipasture in ecosystems in high mountains
• Production and handling of native grasses
• Forest handling
• Forest products
• Environmental management
• Agroforestry
• Managerial administration
• Handling of basins
• Forestry
• Animal sanitation
• Cattle improvement

Achievements

• Identification of exotic forest species better adapted to the ecological conditions along the basin of the Cajamarca Valley;
• Monitoring of climatic conditions and studies of the soils in the entire environment of the project;
• Development of techniques of production and plantation of naked root;
• Establishment of demonstration forest plantations that have allowed the validation of the results of the investigation;
• Technology and anatomy of the wood of Pinus and Eucalyptus;
• Determination of preservation techniques appropriate for some forest products for local or regional use;
• Training of technical personnel to enable the transfer of their acquired knowledge and ensure its application;
• Establishment of forest plantations for industrial purposes, cultivated grasses and some agricultural cultivations as integral systems of production;
• Reforestation of 12 000 ha with an increment in productivity and added value of forest products;
• Make reforestation an economically profitable activity, opting for profitable and competitive growth, promotion through societies and foundations in Peru;
• Technological, social and ecological proposals that make peasants' participation effective as the main focus of their own development;
• Definition of forest species to establish plantations for industrial purposes between 2 500 and 3 600 msnm of altitude: Pinus patula, Pinus pseudostrobus, P. Greggii, P. Muricata, P. Michoacana, Eucalyptus globulus, besides other native species, such as the Alnus acuminata and the Polylepis sp.;
• Techniques of production of plants for naked root and in bags that guarantee the quality of the plant when transferred for definitive planting:
• Installation of silvipastoral systems with animals in plantations of P. radiata;
• Establishment of conservation programmes, regeneration and improvement of germplasm of species in high mountain forests:
• Establishment of orchards and nurseries to assure the supply of seeds;
• Technical development of vegetative propagation (in vitro) using biotechnology;
• Implementation of a seed bank attributed to the Andean net of forest seeds;
• Installation of a pilot center for the transformation of wood;
• Validated technology for the regeneration of grassland areas that had been altered by mining activities.

Forest plantations

ADEFOR tries to contribute to the achievement of improved levels of community participation, to boost elements of identity and revaluation of its culture (conceptually and practically), while maintaining the characteristics of the communal organization and of its own individuality. This process obviously is not uniform because particularities have also led to diverse answers and developments.

ADEFOR understands that development is for and with rural communities. It not only emphasizes increases in production levels and productivity, or exclusively the technological aspects. It seeks the defence of technical and popular knowledge, but with a critical and, at the same time, creative focus. It is interested in the conservation of the environment in order to have a sustained production, as well as an acceptable level of economic profitability.

Experimental and demonstration plantations

Experimental and demonstration plantations were started in 1976 and are related to the introduction of species, to techniques of plantations and to production, as well as of genetic improvement, bearing in mind installation conditions, soil, humidity, winds and icy conditions.

These demonstration plantations are located mainly in the counties of Cajamarca, as well as in other places in Peru. They are important from the scientific point of view, and the work is based on silviculture investigation.

Industrial plantations

Industrial plantations were begun in 1984 and are located on the property of the Atahualpa Jerusalem cooperative, governed by agreements that specify timber distribution between the owners of the land (50 percent) and ADEFOR.