For the past fifteen years, the living conditions of the Amerindian populations in Napo province, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, have been worsening. The booming petroleum industry in the area and the pressure this has on natural resources are causing significant changes in the lifestyles of local communities. For example, it has caused men to leave the local farming areas to instead work on extraction sites or in cities. Therefore, it is common for women to solely look after their families during this time, as well as farming the land.
Since 2016, the Ishpingo association specialises in the fight against deforestation. To enable the campaign to continue, 90 women are being trained in agroforestry practices and the development of a sustainable marketing chain of fruits from reforested land. The project will have an impact on the economic empowerment of women, who will obtain better harvests from their plots, and will contribute to the preservation of natural resources through the dissemination of sustainable agricultural practices.
Ishpingo works in the Ecuadorian Amazon to improve the living standards of native populations, while preserving the resources of the Amazon rainforest.
