Due to a lack of adequate knowledge of the imperatives of agriculture and the forestry industry, many regions in developing countries have lost their natural potential. Deforestation and desertification have increased considerably in recent years, impoverishing the inhabitants and leading to a mass exodus to already overpopulated cities. The people who live in these regions do not have the necessary tools to protect and manage their resources, nor to benefit from them in a sustainable manner.

A large number of the inhabitants of the developing world live in rural and agricultural areas. The modern techniques of agriculture are not yet within their grasp and because of this, they find themselves ill prepared for international competition. Paradoxical situations arise where the poor smallholders of Guatemala produce maize which costs more on the local market than the variety from the large North American producers. Many factors can explain such a discrepancy. However, ACTEC approaches this problem by going to its core – the ignorance and the lack of a structured organisation. Through our training projects, we promote a type of agriculture that is more productive and profitable while at the same time taking the environment and local mentality into consideration.

DESEC: Reforestation and organising smallholders

The situation of the native people in the Andean regions of Bolivia is often very precarious because agriculture, their main activity, is in decline. This has resulted in depletion of the soil and desertification. To combat these increasingly serious difficulties affecting these people, DESEC, our local partner, chose the best method available - solidarity. This association created in 1966 started many training and technical assistance projects and programmes for improving the agricultural and forestry production.

Our project aims at setting up 75 forestry committees (of around 2.500 people) made up of native people undergoing training and receiving technical assistance and to create a local structure to be responsible for the sustainable management of the forests.

By organising these groups of smallholders, DESEC is trying to promote the sustainable management of natural forestry resources. To this end, it has started programmes for reforestation, land management and species conservation.

ACTEC supports DESEC with actions designed to strengthen this remarkable association so that it may become selfsufficient economically. Many activities have been started: training and raising awareness of the population, production of nursery plants and distribution to the communities, management of the plantations and the construction and maintenance of roads leading to forestry areas. A sawmill has been equipped and fitted out to com-plete all the cycles of the forestry industry - logging, processing, reforestation, etc.