Peru - Solidaridad Latin America

The goal of this project is to achieve a sustainable coffee sector transformation in Peru by helping farmers transition to coffee grown in an agroforestry system. This aligns with Solidaridad’s goal to prove that it is possible to produce coffee that isn’t linked to deforestation and can benefit both nature and Peruvian communities in the face of climate change. Solidaridad Peru partnered with Acorn for these interventions to create financial opportunities and incentives for coffee producers for adopting agroforestry systems.

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The project design was created with community input as well as technical input through meetings, workshops, and surveys with producers and community members. For example, meetings were held with the local community for knowledge exchange, including topics such as valued tree species (i.e., timber species that farmers can also gain income from) during project design.

Solidaridad also continues to hold inception meetings with coffee technical teams to explain the full agroforestry design, who then transfer this message to the producers, so they are fully informed regarding what is expected from them during the implementation phase. Most contact going forward is with producer leaders as they help to diffuse the agroforestry design (information on optimal spacing, pruning and so on) to other project beneficiaries.

One of the objectives of the project is to maintain the dynamic of multiple land use within the farms in the project area (farmers growing a range of crops) to ensure they can have a more diverse and nutritious selection of fruits and vegetables for self-consumption. The income from carbon finance, if spent on food, is expected to allow farmers to purchase a wider variety of food rather than what is grown on their own farm (such as sources of protein).

This project aims to increase the productivity of farmers through higher crop yield and fewer inputs (like fertilizers and pesticides) resulting in more income for the farmers. Diversification of farmer income is also expected through the carbon finance offered for sequestration, giving farmers a more reliable and additional source of income.

Solidaridad will connect farmers to nurseries for provision of planting resources and offer training/guidance in their transition to agroforestry, timber tree species have been incorporated into the agroforestry design, farmers are encouraged to grow multiple crops alongside coffee on their farmers of self-consumption, and the additional income from carbon finance will increase their ability to purchase resources needed to maintain the agroforestry system and farm in general.

The provision of shade from the trees planted is ideal for supporting a healthy ecosystem and habitat for native flora and fauna, protecting them from the extreme weather conditions that arise through climate change. Biodiversity will be increased on farms due to the variety of shade trees species planted. Finally, Solidaridad’s objective of ensuring farmers grow a range of crops on their farms other than coffee will bring benefits for the environment such as increased pollinators.

Full project documentation available upon request.