The Action Plan
The approach was multifaceted and aimed to address community issues at the core.
Creating long-lasting change in a positive way.
Colombia is a country rich in culture, biodiverse life and natural resources. The team saw an opportunity to positively impact the local communities that have suffered from environmental destruction and economic hardship.
The Challenge
Environmental destruction and economic hardship
A lack of resources to establish sustainable community-led initiatives.
Inadequate infrastructure and incentives to generate legal income with the land
The area had suffered from years of environmental destruction resulting from illegal mining. In addition, communities felt helpless without the tools or education to restore and sustain the local environment.
Impoverished communities
Many communities lived below the poverty line. The team saw that education and infrastructure were barriers to legal income generation.
Illegal mining
The region was badly destroyed by illegal mining which meant that the communities had fewer options for sustaining and living off the land.
Strategic Intervention
Sustainable income projects for communities, inspired by the biodiversity of Serranía de San Lucas, one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The team hired technicians who taught the communities how to culture bees.
The communities agreed to secure a portion of the land for the beekeeping.
The technician organization committed to buying honey from the communities.
The Results
Improved quality of all life within the communities
Because of the team's intervention, families found new ways out of poverty while preserving the ecosystem and allowing nature to flourish for future generations.
Income generation
More than 500 families in various municipalities of the Bajo Cauca Antioqueño region started to generate income from honey harvesting after only six months.
Reforestation
The team helped plant high-quality tropical wood trees in the regenerated areas of the communities.
Collaboration and financial security
The families secured an income equivalent to double the minimum wage from the beekeeping program. In addition, government and private entities pitched in for the establishment of cacao in other portions of the land. Now the communities have a steady income from honey and cacao.
Check out some of the other conservation initiatives by our founding team.
GreenVault is committed to conservation and sustainability. Our team is proud of the projects we have initiated over the years and we look forward to the ones we are yet to create. If you would like to partner with GreenVault, reach out to us below.
