Biodiversity, agro-ecology, food sovereignty and strengthening of grassroots organizations are the driving forces behind the Small Grants Programme's (SGP) work in Uruguay. Mobilizing the community and promoting proactive participation in shaping the country's public policies, to account for sustainable development, is SGP's ultimate endeavor for Uruguay.
Natural and cultural biodiversity constitute Uruguay's comparative advantage with respect to the neighboring region. Uruguay is located between Argentina and Brazil, on the eastern side of the river known as Rio de la Plata. Endowed with wetlands, grasslands and native forests, the SGP saw potential for the biodiversity of the country, hence, it funded several projects beginning in 2005 that focused on taking advantage of biodiversity for productive activities, yielding positive impacts on local communities.
Two main projects exemplify the type of work SGP conducts in Uruguay. The first is "Agroecological design of biodiverse protected areas" carried out in the buffer zone around the protected area of Quebrada de los Cuervos, and the second is "Strengthening of recuperation and use of local seeds for food sovereignty" implemented cross-country.
With respect to the project in Quebrada de los Cuervos, the buffer zone encompasses 5,000 hectares that consist of grazing land, native forests and a network of freshwater systems. It is a unique area that encloses canyons and streams, which are homes to a wide variety of animals and vegetal species. This area has progressively experienced adverse impacts to the ecosystem and biodiversity as a result of mine-exploitation, unsustainable agribusiness, and deforestation, thereby endangering several exotic species.
With the support of the GEF Small Grant Project, the project, implemented by the NGO Pindó Azul, raised local awareness on the importance of preserving the native species for the enhancement of sustainable development; created local economic and employment opportunities improving the quality of life for a large portion of the population; and most important contributed to the conservation of 7 endangered species. Those species are Arrayán, Caroba, Congorosa, Yerba Mate, Guayabo, Arazà and Pitanaga, and they are deemed vital for their nutritional, medical, or commercial value. Another aspect of the project was the knowledge-sharing about native species, among local farmers and the academia, which were brought together through the creation of the Participative Experimental Units (Unidades de Experimentacíon Participativa- UEPs). This project, which covered 6 hectares and involved 6 pilot units, set the stage for building a future national reserve, servicing the whole buffer zone aforementioned.
The other project, "Strengthening the recuperation and use of local seeds for food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation" was implemented in 9 departments across the country, by the National Association of Organic Producers of Uruguay (APODU), in partnership with the faculty of agronomy of the University of Republic and the Uruguayan section of Friends of Earth International. The main objective of the project was promoting food sovereignty through the support of ecological farming of native species for local and national markets. Native species have been slowly waning away from Uruguay's productive systems, as a result of their gradual replacement with transgenic varieties that cause irreversible genetic pollution.
By conducting awareness campaigns and training programs, targeting local farmers and their families, the SGP project helped increase the availability of local seeds for several species. The main purpose of those activities was to entice farmers to keep growing and breeding native species seeds using organic agriculture. As a result, approximately 60 species have been pooled into a seed bank including garden vegetables, grains, legumes, as well as aromatic and medicinal plants. Moreover, the project bolstered the national seeds network, which now involves about 100 farmers working in thousands of hectares across the country.
"The network is a crucial instrument to support our independence as farmers. Besides supporting local seeds' production, the network provides a very important space of political empowerment for us as farmer. We have to meet and organize ourselves to keep the network going. We break through individualism and we build up collectively a new way of production. In addition, thanks to the network, we got very important training opportunities." - Hugo Vázquez, local farmer
SGP projects in agro-ecology in Uruguay have remarkably covered 1170 hectares, reaching 321 farmers and 2,040 beneficiaries, in rural and urban areas. With the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development quickly approaching these examples from the GEF SGP portfolio demonstrate how it is possible to successfully integrate the three pillars of sustainable development.
Contacts:
Ana Maria Currea, Knowledge Management Specialist, GEF SGP | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sandra Bazzani, Natoinal Coordinator, GEF Smal Grants Programme in Uruguay | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.