INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS · 2018-01-11 · Family coffee farmers improve mountain...
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Family coffee farmers improve mountain soils Alberto Pascual Q. Fundación CoMunidad The production of shade-grown coffee is key to the conservation of mountain ecosystems. In Panama’s Santa Fe National Park, coffee is a traditional crop and one of the main income sources for many family farmers who live in the protected park area and its surroundings. The cultivation of shade-grown coffee ensures environmental, polyculture and agroforest biodiversity, contributes to soil conservation and plays a crucial role in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Located in the highlands of the Panamanian Central Cordillera in the Santa Fe district of Veraguas province, the 72 636 ha Santa Fe National Park has proven critical for conveying the need for investment in the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. It belongs to the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, a highly biodiverse region that encompasses seven Central American countries and Mexico. In addition, it contains a strategic water reservoir for the major human settlements of the country, and the water streaming from its watershed and the related rivers has great potential to generate hydropower. Thanks to the elevation and steepness that characterize the geomorphology of the park, all the springs of the major rivers originating within the protected area may potentially generate renewable energyThese lands are suitable for the production of coffee, and their humid tropical climate also allows for the production of complementary crops such as citrus, beans and vegetables. With constant rain throughout the year and favourable soil features, the area also has good agricultural potential for various forest and fruit plantations The park has mountain ranges with narrow valleys and elevations ranging from 600 to 1 400 masl. Mountain slopes are steep, especially in the southern section of the Santa Fe National Park and its buffer zone, and soils are thin with good internal drainage. The predominant soils of this mountain region have a pH that tends to range from acidic (< 6.5) to very acidic (4.5). This is because the rainfall has historically induced a strong phenomenon of nutrient leaching and soils are exposed to wind erosion and other atmospheric agents The work of family farmers engaged in shade-grown coffee generates multiple benefits due to the use of native species, soil conservation and improvement practices, reduced dependence on petrol and derivatives through agro-ecology, practice of polyculture and silvopastoralism, terraced coffee plantations and crop rotation. One of the salient features of the traditional farming systems is their high degree of biodiversity thanks to polyculture and agroforestry. Diversified systems support several ecosystem services such as soil carbon sequestration, regulation of the hydrological cycle, provision of habitat for natural pollinators and control of pests and diseases through natural enemies. All this, in turn, promotes dietary diversity and improves the long-term productivity of soils, even with low levels of technology and limited resources. The techniques the family farmers have implemented for shade- grown coffee have reduced soil erosion and nutrient loss, while also respecting the ground cover, the trees and their extensive root systems which are key elements for agriculture to conserve and improve soils in mountains. All components and joint actions of this project are framed and legitimized within the Management Plan of the Santa Fe National Park published in September 2014 by the Panamanian Ministry of the Environment. In this framework, Fundación CoMunidad works with local producers to establish shade- grown coffee as a finished brand product. This has potential to open new markets, build public and private partnerships, and identify new strategic partners, always ensuring sustainable use of natural resources and soil conservation and improvement within the Santa Fe National Park and its buffer zone. Fig. 3: Coffee is one of the main source of income for peoples living in the central mountains of Panama ©Alberto Pascual Q Fig. 1: Rubén Urriola, one of the thirty members of the association of coffee producers, working in his farm ©Alberto Pascual Q INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS CONCLUSION Fig. 2: Planting coffee beans in the mountainous State of Oxaca in the south- centre of Mexico ©FAO/Franco Mattioli Fig. 4: The landscape on one of the farms of small coffee producers shaded located in the buffer zone of the protected area © Alberto Pascual Q
Transcript of INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS · 2018-01-11 · Family coffee farmers improve mountain...
Family coffee farmers improve mountain soils
Alberto Pascual Q. Fundación CoMunidad
The production of shade-growncoffee is key to the conservation ofmountain ecosystems. InPanama’s Santa Fe National Park,coffee is a traditional crop andone of the main income sourcesfor many family farmers who livein the protected park area and itssurroundings. The cultivation ofshade-grown coffee ensuresenvironmental, polyculture andagroforest biodiversity,contributes to soil conservationand plays a crucial role inmitigating and adapting to climatechange. Located in the highlandsof the Panamanian CentralCordillera in the Santa Fe districtof Veraguas province, the 72 636ha Santa Fe National Park hasproven critical for conveying theneed for investment in theconservation and sustainablemanagement of natural resources.It belongs to the MesoamericanBiological Corridor, a highlybiodiverse region thatencompasses seven CentralAmerican countries and Mexico.In addition, it contains a strategicwater reservoir for the majorhuman settlements of the country,and the water streaming from itswatershed and the related rivershas great potential to generatehydropower. Thanks to theelevation and steepness thatcharacterize the geomorphologyof the park, all the springs of themajor rivers originating withinthe protected area may potentiallygenerate renewable energyTheselands are suitable for theproduction of coffee, and theirhumid tropical climate also allowsfor the production ofcomplementary crops such ascitrus, beans and vegetables. Withconstant rain throughout the yearand favourable soil features, thearea also has good agriculturalpotential for various forest andfruit plantations
The park has mountain rangeswith narrow valleys andelevations ranging from 600 to 1400 masl. Mountain slopes aresteep, especially in the southernsection of the Santa Fe NationalPark and its buffer zone, and soilsare thin with good internaldrainage. The predominant soilsof this mountain region have a pHthat tends to range from acidic (<6.5) to very acidic (4.5). This isbecause the rainfall hashistorically induced a strongphenomenon of nutrient leachingand soils are exposed to winderosion and other atmosphericagents The work of family farmersengaged in shade-grown coffeegenerates multiple benefits due tothe use of native species, soilconservation and improvementpractices, reduced dependence onpetrol and derivatives throughagro-ecology, practice ofpolyculture and silvopastoralism,terraced coffee plantations andcrop rotation. One of the salientfeatures of the traditional farmingsystems is their high degree ofbiodiversity thanks to polycultureand agroforestry. Diversifiedsystems support severalecosystem services such as soilcarbon sequestration, regulationof the hydrological cycle,provision of habitat for naturalpollinators and control of pestsand diseases through naturalenemies. All this, in turn,promotes dietary diversity andimproves the long-termproductivity of soils, even withlow levels of technology andlimited resources.
The techniques the family farmershave implemented for shade-grown coffee have reduced soilerosion and nutrient loss, whilealso respecting the ground cover,the trees and their extensive rootsystems which are key elementsfor agriculture to conserve andimprove soils in mountains. Allcomponents and joint actions ofthis project are framed andlegitimized within theManagement Plan of the Santa FeNational Park published inSeptember 2014 by thePanamanian Ministry of theEnvironment.
In this framework, FundaciónCoMunidad works with localproducers to establish shade-grown coffee as a finished brandproduct. This has potential toopen new markets, build publicand private partnerships, andidentify new strategic partners,always ensuring sustainable useof natural resources and soilconservation and improvementwithin the Santa Fe National Parkand its buffer zone.
Fig. 3: Coffee is one of the main source of income for peoples living in the central mountains of Panama ©Alberto Pascual Q
Fig. 1: Rubén Urriola, one of the thirty members of the association of coffee producers, working in his farm ©Alberto Pascual Q
INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS
CONCLUSION
Fig. 2: Planting coffee beans in the mountainous State of Oxaca in the south-centre of Mexico ©FAO/Franco Mattioli
Fig. 4: The landscape on one of the farms of small coffee producers shaded located in the buffer zone of the protected area © Alberto Pascual Q
