Visit of the French Development Agency (AFD)
At the end of 2018, the three French associations, Up2green Reforestation, Envol Vert and Forestever, decided to organize themselves into a consortium to respond to a call for proposals from the French Development Agency (AFD) and present a common project for the “Restoration of forest ecosystems, alternatives to deforestation and strengthening of civil society with indigenous communities, Afro-descendants and/or victims and displaced persons of the internal conflict in Colombia”.
The project focuses on three areas of the country: the Caribbean coast where Envol Vert Colombia operates, in the Amazon where Forestever operates through the NGO Green Hope Colombia, and the department of Nariño in the Andes through Fundación Impulso Verde Colombia.
The main objective is to contribute to the reduction of deforestation in Colombia through the development of agroforestry and conservation practices that allow for sustainable rural development in the territories, involving rural and indigenous populations. Agroforestry practices and activities will be implemented to limit pressure on forest resources and provide eco-systemic services, economic alternatives will be developed for populations and these sustainable practices will be disseminated with different Colombian organizations.
At the end of November 2019, two AFD representatives visited the Andes project in Ipiales to meet the Impulso Verde team and the indigenous and peasant associations that are partners and involved in the project. They also had the opportunity to participate in the theoretical training and installation of the hives within the framework of the foundation’s beekeeping project.
