Amazon ecosystem has a relevant tole in carbon storage and the planet’s climate balance. This region also provides critical ecosystem services, such as timber products, nutrient dense fruits and nuts, medicinal plants, and other benefits resulting from its abundant biodiversity.  

Substantial portions of forestland are being razed to create space to farm agricultural products that global markets demand, such as cattle, cocoa, palm-oil, and coffee. As agricultural production expands, forests are destroyed and water scarcity increases, putting significant strains on local communities and Indigenous livelihoods.  

With one of the largest forested areas (52%), Caquetá, Meta, Guaviare, and Putumayo departments are among the most affected by deforestation, closely related to the socioeconomic and political context. Unfortunately, the Amazon is a central stage for those who benefit from illegal logging, land grabbing, and the development of illicit crops, in addition to the practices of extensive livestock farming, unplanned transport infrastructure, illegal extraction of minerals, and expansion of the agricultural frontier. 

REAL project is implemented in the Colombian Amazon piedmont, in the departments of Guaviare, Putumayo, and Caquetá, a region of high ecological value, home of indigenous peoples and local communities that are highly vulnerable to climate change effects, and where the deforestation rate reached 46,517 hectares in 2022. 

The project aims to develop cocoa and non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) value chains with a focus on Gender Equality, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) as an alternative to improve communities’ livelihoods, increase their resilience to climate change, contribute to contain deforestation and promote forest restoration.