Indigenous Women Revive Traditional Farming to Combat Deforestation in Colombia
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📰 The quick summary: Indigenous women in Colombia’s Sibundoy Valley are defending their ancestral lands against deforestation through traditional farming, cultural preservation, and community organizing.
📈 One key stat: Despite less than 30% of land being suitable for cattle ranching, 84% of the Sibundoy Valley (almost 8,000 hectares) is dedicated to this purpose, severely impacting essential ecosystems.
💬 One key quote: “The chagra is a microcosm of the territory. We want public policies to recognize our knowledge and promote interculturality so that new generations — our own and others — may understand it, because it is about maintaining life.”
1️⃣ The big picture: In southwestern Colombia, Kamëntšá and Inga Indigenous women are leading efforts to protect their ancestral Sibundoy Valley territory, which provides essential water to the Putumayo region. Unlike the lower Putumayo, this area doesn’t face challenges from coca cultivation or armed groups, but instead battles threats from cattle ranching, extensive monoculture plantations, and large infrastructure projects like the San Francisco-Mocoa road. At least 45 women have organized to resist deforestation by maintaining traditional chagras – small farming plots containing hundreds of plant species. Through transmitting their language, cultivating traditional medicine, and preserving their deep spiritual connection with the land, these women embody a sustainable alternative to destructive agricultural practices.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: The women guardians have successfully maintained biodiversity hotspots amid increasing environmental pressure, with their chagras serving as living examples of sustainable agriculture. Their efforts have led to the creation and expansion of Indigenous reserves, including the expansion of the Sibundoy Reserve from 3,200 to 42,000 hectares in 2016. Organizations like ClimaLab now support 45 Indigenous women representing 17 community organizations, helping map approximately 50 chagras and creating networks of native seed custodians. Women who previously worked with monoculture farming have returned to traditional methods, reporting the return of wildlife like hummingbirds, bees, and lizards to their backyards, demonstrating how traditional ecological knowledge can effectively restore damaged ecosystems.
3️⃣ What’s next: The guardians aim to gain recognition for their traditional knowledge through public policies that promote interculturality. They’re building alliances with environmental organizations to expand their network of chagras and seed custodians. Continued consultation with elders and community members remains essential as they face decisions about infrastructure projects like the new San Francisco-Mocoa road.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Putumayo’s women guardians defend land and culture amid Colombia’s deforestation
