GUYAGROFOR PROJECT
Development of the sustainable agroforestry systems
based on indegenous and maroon knowledge in the guyana
shield region
 Project facts
Project duration: Nov. 1st 2004 – Oct 31st 2008.
Location: Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela
FUNDED BY: European Union, Dutch government
The problem
Since the past century Indigenous and Maroon communities in
the rainforest of Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela (population
almost 25 million in total) have been facing increased
pressures on their community lands. These pressures where
caused by expanding economic activities like land settlement
schemes, large dams, roads, mining (bauxite, gold), timber
logging, bio-prospecting, industrial fishing and farming,
eco tourism and imposed conservation projects.
Fighting against further marginalization and faced with
imminent threats from
environmental destruction, contamination, poverty and
cultural demise these tribal
communities are seeking stronger legal guarantees for the
protection of their ancestral
lands, their culture and way of life.Unfortunately,
Indigenous and Maroon capacities as
managers of the forest resource base have yet insufficiently
been exploited. Since overexploitation would endanger their
livelihood, exploitation of the forest resource base has
been an integral part of their livelihood strategies, aimed
at long-term survival. Also the national governments are
facing the challenge to convert the potentially rich but
delicate resources of the countries to the mutual interests
of every one.
The solution
The problems described can be tackled by developing new
strategies for sustainable
development of the agro-forestry systems that support the
socio-economic and the
organizational empowerments of indigenous and Maroon
communities in Suriname, Brazil
and Venezuela, while contributing to the national economy. A
three axes approach will be
applied to enhance sustainability of the agro forestry
systems: environmental sustainability, economical
sustainability and organizational sustainability. Three
sub-projects are defined with each aiming at the following
specific objectives:
• Biophysical integration and innovation
• Market chain exploration
• Institutional/ organizational support and knowledge
exchange
Ways to research the objectives:
1. The first work package starts with the selection of
community villages.
2. The second work package consists of a macro-economic
analysis of the economic
feasibility.
The third work package assesses the constraints and the
opportunities.
In the fourth work package participative experimentation
will be applied to develop innovative technology.
Work package five focuses on product chain analysis of
products.
Work package six will provide the main outcomes of this
complex, multidisciplinary and
participative action approach.
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Vacancies:
Scientist
Forestry
