Business Case in Sucumbios and Orellana, Ecuador
As a consortium partner, Conservation International (CI) Ecuador, leads the Business Case activities in Sucumbios and Orellana (Northern Amazon landscape), to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable development in areas with high biodiversity through a joint work with the private sector, governments, indigenous communities, and local stakeholders.
About Sucumbios and Orellana
The Sucumbios and Orellana provinces in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon extend across more than 3.1M ha.
In this target landscape, there are several protected natural environments: (1) nationally protected areas (234,809.17 ha), (2) protected forests (55,040.96 ha), and (3) private properties that have conservation agreements through Socio Bosque (64,757.83 ha).
The Sucumbios and Orellana landscape is rich in biodiversity. It is home to jaguars (Panthera onca) and includes the buffer zones of the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Yasuní National Park, and Cuyabeno Fauna Production Reserve.
Indigenous lands in this landscape have extensive forest cover and have been guarded for generations by the Kichwa, Siona, Secoya, Shuar, Waorani, and Cofán Indigenous peoples.
Within this region, the Business Case is working within a direct intervention area of 848,067 ha in four municipalities, Joya de Los Sachas, Shushufindi, Orellana, and Cuyabeno, including 23 parishes.
Other areas include natural environments without conservation mechanisms (261,418.5 ha) and multiple-use landscapes covering an area of 240,149.25 ha (towns, agricultural and livestock production areas), including oil palm crops (33,891.52 ha).
The landscape also has significant carbon stocks, including areas of “irrecoverable carbon” mainly in the Yasuni Natural Park and Cuyabeno Fauna Production Reserve.
Irrecoverable carbon areas are those which, if lost, could not be recovered on a timescale fast enough to address the climate emergency.
Activities
To achieve Business Case goals in Sucumbios and Orellana, CI implements the activities through four components.
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LANDSCAPE ACTION PLAN (LAP) & ALLIANCES
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CONVERSATION AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
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PUBLIC POLICY
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FINACIAL MECHANISS
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ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE
The Business Case has taken significant steps strengthening the national multi-stakeholder platform for sustainable and deforestation free production, hosting the first two provincial deforestation-free dialogues, advancing in creating a palm oil working group and promoting a deforestation free value chain. As a result, producers are receiving a price premium for forest conservation and for adopting good productive practices. Additionally, the initiative has leveraged growing engagement of palm producers in the vision of a future where palm and conservation go hand in hand.
2022
Deforestation-Free Production
Dialogues for Deforestation-Free Production were implemented in the North Amazon landscape, bringing together over 60 stakeholders from the palm oil supply chain in Orellana and Sucumbíos.
Participants included producers, associations, local mills, indigenous representatives, government officials, and NGOs. They aimed to build a participatory vision and pathway towards deforestation-free palm oil in the region.
2023
Landscape Action Plan
National multi-stakeholder working group strengthened with an approved Landscape Action Plan, and a local palm roundtable established.
2023
Producers commitment
Premium price negotiated with private sector to promote good environmental practices and forest conservation in producers. Producers commit to implement best practices and uphold forest conservation, while the mills incentive with a differentiated price, and CI and local governments give additional incentives, acknowledging these practices and the enhanced quality of the produce.
2023
Agreements
20 Conservation and Sustainable Production Agreements signed and in negotiation, conserving approximately 100 hectares of forest and 300 hectares of sustainable management.
1 Conservation Agreement underway for supporting sustainable management of 42000 hectares and strengthening governance of an indigenous community.
2024
Management Plan
Management Plan for La Pantera Area of Conservation and Sustainable Use was completed supporting local governments and private owners in its development.
