Ecuador was very innovative in many ways to adapt to new reality with COVID, we want to applaud their great creativity and way to reach to their target audience!

Very proud of Estefy and Daniela over there!

PD. Don't miss the great song!

Phidel, Bimala, and Daniela aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo in their communities — nor to challenge their perceptions of how to change it.

Hailing from rural farming communities in Kenya, Nepal, and Ecuador (respectively), in 2018 each female leader attended an intensive 10-day training in her country, hosted by Rare, to learn how to use and apply the principles of behavior-centered design (BCD) to social and environmental challenges facing her community. The training equipped each woman with a global theory of behavior change, social marketing tactics, quantitative and qualitative research techniques, and effective campaign design for her local challenges.

Following the training, Rare selected these three local leaders to join its delegation at the 14th global United Nations Biodiversity Conference (a.k.a., CBD COP14) held in Egypt in November. By training local leaders and bringing them to global forums to share first-hand experiences, Rare encourages and empowers local ‘disruptors’ to lead the changes they seek for their communities. In attending the 14th CBD COP, the local female leaders capitalized on the opportunity to share their local challenges — and their solutions — with a global audience (consisting mostly of government representatives alongside civil society, business, indigenous and local communities, youth, and others), and enhanced their networking, public speaking, and storytelling skills.

At the conference, Phidel, Bimala, and Daniela shared the proverbial stage with the launch of the Farming for Biodiversity report, published by Rare and IFOAM-Organics International, which unearths results of 338 community-led solutions to connect agriculture and biodiversity, sourced from across the world. In the foreword to the report, the UN Assistant Secretary-General, CBD Executive Secretary Dr. Cristiana Pasca Palmer stresses the importance of engaging local leadership in making change happen: “Community-led solutions that work on the ground and can be scaled and replicated elsewhere are at the heart of this change.”

Following the conference, we asked the local leaders to share what they plan to do with these new skills back home, and importantly, help us envision what a good life they help to create looks like. Here are their answers.

•      •      •

Phidel Hazel Arunga

Phidel Hazel and YPARD-Young Professionals’ Platform for Agricultural Development are making agriculture attractive to young people in Western Kenya. By introducing rural youth to entrepreneurial and environment-friendly farming practices, Phidel is opening doorways to employment opportunities and easing pressure from rural-to-urban migration — all while protecting the planet.

(On what she takes home with her): The training and event changed me. At the COP, I saw people sitting around a table, making decisions that will affect you directly. And I realized that if you don’t take part in these decisions, then your challenges and ideas won’t be implemented. [These events] reinforced my confidence, in myself and my work. I came away very confident in understanding an audience and targeting a message. One thing I took away, is that to believe in something, you have to follow it through… I now know that I can do this — I can believe in me.

(On how she envisions a better life): The future I want to make happen looks like this: youth have proper representation and seat at the table; and at the same time, create their own jobs, and their personal wealth, in a perfect environment. Even if I help to build a small community that can have that kind of life, that is an achievement — and it can have a replicative effect. Success attracts success.

•      •      •

Bimala Acharya Dahal

Seizing on the growing global trend to “go organic,” Bimala left her career in business and turned to organic farming. Catering to Kathmandu’s growing market for healthy products, she is growing the urban organic movement by offering trainings on rooftop farming. Now, Bimala is going national: By encouraging farmers in remote areas of Nepal to obtain organic certification, she is helping them tap into new income opportunities.

(On what she takes home with her): The training energized me to work with the local community, which I hadn’t thought to work with before. Before, I just thought about my work — my farmer’s market, my rooftop garden, my women’s group. Now, I want to replicate what I am doing in Kathmandu with rural farmers. I came back from the training, and event, and people start to look at me differently — with respect. Now they believe in me and what I am doing. This is a kind of behavior change.

(On how she envisions a better life): Recently, I read a UN report stating that small-scale farmers can feed the world. I believe that where there is no farming, there is no life. A better life is that the young people stay in Nepal and grow everything the Nepalese need. By building a system that values organic farming, I can then rejoice in the respect they deserve and the income from organic agriculture that will make them, and the world, rich and healthy.

•      •      •

Daniela Borja Kaisin

Daniela Borja is part of a rescue campaign for Ecuador’s indigenous seeds. On the producer side, the group supports farmers to act as “Guardians of the Seed,” increasing the number of available seeds. On the consumer side, Daniela and her team facilitate the development of a vibrant gastronomy based on traditional food products. With her Farming for Biodiversity campaign, Daniela is on a mission to make traditional crops the next big thing among the housewives of Quito.

(On what she takes home with her): Being surrounded by influential people, organizations, ideas, and decisions at the CBD COP, I was initially nervous and intimidated — I didn’t know how/if coming from a small organization I could contribute. But slowly, throughout the week, I realized that we are all humans, concerned about similar environmental issues and that it’s really important for decision-makers to hear about our experiences and practices at the local level. I left feeling empowered, knowing that my work is important and that what I learned from the training will make my work more effective and impactful. It gives me hope. I’m so inspired that I’m spreading the word about the training and sharing my learnings with everyone!

(On how she envisions a better life): I dream of an awakened community of people, who together care about our surroundings and each other. Conscious consumerism — urban gardeners are growing their food, communities are planting trees and protecting their water, networks of seed guardians are spreading throughout Ecuador and the world…and generally speaking, people are connected, partnering for good, and dreaming together of a better life, regardless of how far apart we may seem.

Join us for the 7th webinar of the Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in the agricultural sectors webinar module. Climate change and climate variability are

threatening the functioning of forest ecosystems and their services. This in turn negatively affects the production and utilization of wood and non-wood forest

products. According to FAO, forests directly contribute to the livelihoods of more than 1.6 billion people and the State of the World’s Forests (2018) estimates

that around 40 percent of the extreme rural poor live in forest and savannah areas. Further to this, more than 75% of the world’s accessible freshwater for

agriculture, domestic, urban, industrial and environmental use comes from forests.

Forests help to deliver clean and reliable water supplies and protect against landslides, erosion and land degradation. They provide employment, offering a range

of livelihood and income generation opportunities through the supply of products for household use or sale. Forests also enhance the habitat of aquatic and

terrestrial species providing a home for more than 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Sustainably managing forests can reduce carbon emissions

while at the same time increasing their carbon sink potential.

Forest managers will need to “hedge their bets” by managing forests for a wide range of climate scenarios. Adopting “no regrets” options that are consistent with good

practices of having both adaptation and mitigation benefits are necessary. Ecosystem-based adaptation offers an opportunity to conserve, restore and

sustainably manage forest ecosystems, and it provides both adaptation and mitigation benefits.

This webinar seeks to identify ecosystem-based approaches, tools and methods to promote the implementation of EbA in managing forests and degraded lands

while improving livelihoods; share lessons learned including good practices generated from the past and ongoing experiences; and identify opportunities and

challenges for scaling up EbA.   

Presentations and Speakers:

Approaches for ecosystem based adaptation in forestry

Simmone Rose, Forestry Officer (Climate change and Bioenergy), FOA, FAO

Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) has been defined as an overall strategy that integrates the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt

to the adverse impacts of climate change. It includes the sustainable management, conservation and restoration of ecosystems to provide services that help

people adapt to both current climate variability, and climate change. The presentation will highlight climate change adaptation through the management of forests

and trees. Such approaches can diversify options – for the forest ecosystems themselves and for the livelihoods depending on them, and thus build resilience

to climate change. The importance of appropriate legislation, policies and governance structures to support the implementation of EbA approaches in forestry

will also be addressed.

Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Practice: lessons from the mountains

Andrew Taber, Senior Forestry Officer, FOA, FAO

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) can be a compelling approach to build both environmental and societal resilience in ecologically degraded ecosystems with

high levels of poverty. The presentation will introduce two examples from mountain regions drawing on the experiences of The Mountain Institute, IUCN, and

its partners. In the Himalayas, the restoration of fragile highland forests by mountain communities is being advanced through the cultivation of high-value

medicinal and aromatic plants on degraded lands. In the Andes, agropastoralists are using ancient water management techniques and the latest science to

improve camelid production and protect the environment. In both cases, restoration of forest and other ecosystems are being promoted, natural hazard risks

reduced, water resources improved, and livelihoods for impoverished communities bolstered. Constraints and enabling conditions to support such approaches

will be discussed.

Ecosystem-based Adaptation experiences in agroforestry and forest ecosystems in South America

Karen Podvin, Programme Officer, IUCN

The presentation will introduce examples from agricultural and forest ecosystems drawing on the experiences of two collaborative projects in South America.

In Ecuador, the comprehensive approach of implementing a variety of measures as an EbA package include agrobiodiversity, water conservation, ecotourism and

sustainable goat management. The presentation will emphasize good practices in agrobiodiversity through training in integral farm planning and management with an

EbA approach through “Field Schools for Farmers”. The second example will draw on experiences from Chile with an example of how science-based knowledge and

evidence on the protective role of native forests can support planning and decision-making processes. These experiences show the need for focusing EbA on a landscape

approach ‒forests and other (eco)systems‒ including participatory approaches and strengthening natural resource governance, enhancing livelihoods, and the need

of robust evidence to inform planning processes.

When?  23rd October 2018

Time? 14:30– 16:00 CEST (UTC +2)

To join us, we invite you to register here and to join on the day of the webinar here.

For further information on the “Scaling-up of Adaptation in the Agricultural Sectors (SAAS)” webinar series, please contact Selvaraju.Ramasamy@fao.org or Manar.Abdelmagied@fao.org.

Kind regards,

FAO Climate and Environment Division (CBC)

Click aqui: ¡C4C es para ti y para todos!

Click aqui: C4C Ecuador, ¡una experiencia inolvidable!

Gracias a todos los participantes y a Canopy Bridge por su gran participación.

Dulce Espelosin

Entrenadora C4C, Rare

Durante estos 8 días de entrenamiento de para incursionar en la Mercadotecnia, han resultado muy nutritivos ya que compartimos nuestras experiencias a nivel local y también con la participación de compañeros de de otros paises y nuestros entrenadores de IFO4N, para mi es una gran oportunidad ya que los conocimientos adquiridos en este entrenamiento los podemos aplicar a las organizaciones que se encuentran en nuestras localidades ya que somos "AGENTES DE CAMBIO" y me siento muy contento por formar parte de esta gran comunidad.

Aprendí de una forma mas técnica y ordenada de como poder recoger información cualitativa y cuantitativa,formas de procesar los datos en programas que se encuentran en la web y que facilitan de una u otra forma la sintetización de  los mismos.

gracias a nuestros entrenadores por darnos nuevos conocimiento y fortalecimiento que enpezo el dia 13 de junio del 2018  donde llevaremos estos aprendizajes a nuestras organizacion o pueblos para mejorar donde estamos fallando y asi fortalecer los productos para que alla un buen manejo y  seguir disfrutando los productos y comservar nuestra flora y fauna y dejar encaminado a nuestros hermanos y porque no a la nueva gereracion y me siento muy  orgulloso de ser un innovador y que  mas compañeros se unan a seguir  con la conservacion de la naturalesa para tener un mejor futuro gracias tambien a mis conpañeros de ellos tambien llevare sus conocimiento

Seguimos forteleciendo nuestros conocimientos gracias a nuestros entrenadores y el aporte de cada una de nuestros compañeros los cuales nos comparten sus experiencias en campo para tener un enfoque más claro de nuestro entorno, y así poder fortalecer e intervenir de una manera más eficiente a nuestras comunidades y asociaciones para mejorar el manejo sostenible de sus chakras y asi mantener la agro diversidad y mejorar su economía.

Hoy trabajando arduamente en las diferentes actividades planificadas en el entrenamiento., canto, pintura, títeres y el sermon religioso, cada equipo desarrollando sus trabajos correspondientes poniendo alma vida y corazón para cumplir con el objetivo trazado y mostrar que siempre somos capaces de cumplir toda las metas que nos trazamos. 

Mi grupo estuvo encargado de crear un comic para los niños de la escuela. Me gustó mucho la experiencia porque pude ser de mucha utilidad para una campana de marqueting social. Nos emociona mucho crear un material que sea entretenido y educativo para los niños. Les recomiendo a todos que para hacer algún material para niños hay que ponerle dedicación y sobre todas las cosas mucho amor,  utilizar palabras que le sean fácil de comprender y  tratar temas que que les sean interesantes y les cuase agrado.

El quinto día fue super emocionante y muchos dimos a conocer que tenemos algo de niño,  pues no hubo un compañero del taller que se resistió a introducir su mano en los títeres modelos. Nos emocionamos cuando aparecieron las costureras para cocer los títeres y nosotros a dar ideas de como los haríamos, que vestimentas  les pondríamos y  lo más dificil: hacer la historia. Una historia corta, con un mensaje claro y chistoso.  Me llamó mucho la atención  que fluyera el teatrin de títeres  a pesar de que venimos de diferentes paises. A medida que tomaron forma nuestros personajes de la historia los animabamos y disfrutabamos  al manipularlos pero sabíamos que se acercaba lo más dífícil: que los niños le dieran vida a la obra de titeres. Nada es imposible.  Pusimos  empeño y nos unimos con un fin común demostrando que sí podemos. Para crear una historia para los niños y que recepten el mensaje, debemos utilizar un lenguaje sencillo y crear una historia que capte su atención. 

Aprendimos que se puede garantizar la produción de cada uno de las parcela con la intervención del resto de agricultores. Esta actividad se basa mucho en la confianza por lo que quienes los integren tienen que ser miembros de una asociación o de un grupo de productores.Un papel muy importante para este sistema es que permite cuidarse unos a otros entre los productores garantizando que todo lo que va al consumidor final sea de buena calidad y sobre todo con una participación activa de toda la familia asegurando que haya mucha diversidad de productos y de manera primordial sea como requisito indispensable sea para consumo de la familia asegurando así una buena alimentación de todos los que interviene en la producción

Hoy fue un día muy agotador, pero con muy buenas enseñanzas, todos los grupos presentaron proyectos muy buenos con sus respectivas cadenas de valores, lo mejor es que son emprendimientos que estan en macha en sus respectivas lugares de recidencia, Archidona, Manabi y Colombia. Estos trabajos se realizan en un corto tiempo pero los hacemos contentos y con mucha energia, espero con mucho entuciasmo el dia 7 para adquirir muchos mas conocimientos.

Uno nunca deja de aprender todos los días se aprende algo y más en este curso en los días de Convivencia nos damos cuenta que los temas que nos apaciona seguimos y seguimos trabajando con una jornada de casi 12 horas seguimos participado incansablemente intercambiando conocimientos y experiencias que enriquecen nuestro conocimiento y renueva el compromiso con los agricultores y tener herramientas para mejorar el trabajo en el campo 

Ayer, en solo una mañana, los 23 participantes de C4C crearon una canción que hizo bailar y cantar a los socios de Inti, un guión de teatro de títeres que nos hizo reír a todos, cuatro pinturas que impresionaron a quien los miraba y un sermón que hizo reflexionar a los agricultores. Los participantes del taller terminaron el quinto día con mucha satisfacción y felicidad. Estas obras de artes generaron muchas emociones entre los seis agricultores que vinieron a evaluar el trabajo. Se sintieron importantes, agradecidos por ser considerados, respetados y admirados por lo que hacen. Hoy aprendimos a valor nuestra audiencia, sin sus criterios no lograremos cambiar nada. 

Durante estos últimos días del taller he sido más una observadora que participante activa. Sin embargo, he podido presenciar como poco a poco se ha creado una comunidad que cada vez construyen lazos más fuertes para lograr un cambio. El trabajo en equipo, las risas, los debates, el escuchar a los demás han sido las últimas pinceladas de un cuadro de aprendizaje por el que todos hemos pasado durante el taller de mercadotecnia.

Han sido días muy intensos, a veces muy cansados, pero todos siguen adelante siempre con una sonrisa y con muchas ganas de seguir aprendiendo. Me siento muy agradecida por haber conocido a gente tan linda y con tanta energía, dispuesta a crear un cambio!