Climate change is posing a real threat to Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia, with increased temperatures and more frequent wildfires putting at risk the territories that have been in their care for generations. But, in the Chiquitano Indigenous Territory of Monte Verde, the Río Blanco community are developing different strategies – incorporating new practices to manage the forest sustainably and sustain their income without forgetting their past. 

Restoring forests

Located more than 290 kilometres East of the city of Santa Cruz in the Chiquitano forest, the  community of Río Blanco continues their ancestral traditions of caring for Mother Earth. “For us, the forest is important because we eat from nature, nature gives us health, it gives us beauty, it gives us animals, it gives us everything, and that is why we take care of it, ” explains Anacleto Pinto, Chief of Production. 

The Political Constitution of the State of Bolivia recognizes the pre-colonial existence of the native indigenous nations and peoples and their ancestral rights over their land. Importantly, Bolivia also has a Forest Law which aims to regulate the sustainable use and protection of its forests. Under this law, the Chiquitano people have been granted exclusive rights over their land, which makes it easier for them to be guardians of their territories.  

Here, the families are taking action to preserve the forest which has come under threat. They have identified areas that need to be regenerated, and they have established plantations of native species including copaiba, oak and mara (big leaf mahogany). Through their efforts, they have managed to restore 46 hectacres of forest and forest conservation agreements have been signed. In order to continue with the recovery of landscapes, this indigenous territory has developed a Law for Forest Restoration to be approved by the Forest and Land Authority (Autoridad de Fiscalización y Control Social de Bosques y Tierra). 

They have also implemented agroforestry practices, integrating trees with their crops including coffee, citrus, avocado,  achachairú, and mango. The trees provide shade and, by growing a variety of plants, farmers maintain their income if one crop fails due to the changing climate. The families have also planted grasses, moringa and shrub legumes where they keep their livestock – a technique called silvopasture – to protect them from increasing temperatures. Each family has approximately 30 hectacres of silvopasture, so together they are contributing to the restoration of vast swathes of land. 

Adopting new techniques for timber production

Timber production is a source of income for the Río Blanco community. In compliance with the Forest and Land Authority which regulates legal logging activity, the families have developed a sustainable management plan for their wood production. 

They have adopted new innovations including a portable sawmill which allows waste to be minimized as it cuts more accurately. The sawmill can be moved easily on trailers, and can be pulled behind a truck to another location and set up for work in a short time period. Offcuts are used in communal carpentry and the sawdust serves as mattresses for pigs or plant cover in agroforestry systems. 

A new solar oven has also made all the difference. The families are now able to effectively dry 25% of the total volume of wood logged. This ensures the wood they are selling is of high quality and so increases its market value. 

Shampoos, creams and balms

Some of the trees in the Chiquitano forest are used for non-timber products. An Association of Women Entrepreneurs called Las Pioneras (The Pioneers) produces high-value products derived from the medicinal copaiba tree and the cusi tree (babassu palms) which produces a fruit that looks like a tiny coconut. These are transformed into shampoos, creams, lip balms, and oils amongst others. Medicinal uses of cusi include as a cough remedy, laxative, anti-inflammatory, and to destroy parasites. 

To make it possible to process larger quantities of the fruit, the group has bought a milling machine which is powered by solar panels. Previously, the process was done by hand. The group can now process 1000% more cusi fruits per day and they have reduced their production costs by 15%. It has also enabled them to make at least a dozen new products aimed at different medicinal, health and beauty markets.

Las Pioneras are well on their way to obtaining their health registration with the State Agency for Medicines and Health Technologies (Agencia Estatal de Medicamentos Y Tecnologías En Salud). This will allow them to increase their sales by supplying pharmacies, supermarkets and other outlets with their products and boost their income. 

The community has opted for female leadership. Ignacia Supepi is the First Chief. She comments on the changes developed under her guidance: “We are facing climate change, we are conserving the forest, we are helping families economically with food. We are doing marketing, we are all working to move the community forward. We are seeing the fruits of our labour and we are going to continue seeing the fruits of our work." 

Managing wildfires

In recent years, fires have been a recurring problem in the Chiquitano forest. The community has strengthened its capacitiy to manage increasingly frequent forest fires, developing a risk management tool and learning more about how to control them. Adopting agroforestry practices in degraded agricultural, livestock and forestry areas has also helped reduce the risk of wildfires as the areas are being actively monitored and because livestock remove part of the dry vegetation at ground level through grazing. 

The Forest and Farms Facility (FFF) has supported the Río Blanco Indigenous community to introduce sustainable practices, underpinning and transforming the production of their timber, fruit, crops, livestock, and medicinal, health and beauty products. This has helped boost the resilience of these indigenous families today, and will help ensure they reamin the caretakers of the forest for years to come.