Pre-feasibility study for a CDM-AR project in the Cochabamba ...

6. Social issues
7.1. Identification and characterization of relevant social groups
The principal stakeholders are the farmer and their communities, since they occupy the
area.
Considering the importance of syndicalism in Bolivia and particular in the project area,
the acceptance and coordination with the syndicates on different levels is of vital
importance.
However the political organization is of main importance, coordination with the other
organizations like producer’s organizations, and schools might be important as well,
since there structure is more focused on implementation of agricultural and forestry
activities.
• The CDM Project cannot be developed without the communities and their
organizations at the other hand there is a wide range of other institutions
implementing activities or influencing processes in the area.
Since the Cochabamba Tropics is a coca-growing area and since this is since the early
nineties a major concern for the international community, different bolivian
governments started with the eradication of the coca, first on a voluntary base and later
coca fields were destroyed by force. Since last year every farmer member of a syndicate
might legally establish 0,16 has of coca on his land. As part of the strategy to reduce
coca production in the area an alternative development program was started under the
coordination of the Vice ministry on alternative development its implementing agency:
PDAR.
During the last 15 years, several projects were implemented leading to the introduction
of cash crops, of which in surface pinapple, palmheart, and banana are among the most
important crops. In this context there was also implemented a agroforestry and forest
management project by FAO, introducing sustainable land use systems in the area. On
this moment there are several projects active in the area:
o CHF-International
o ARCO Project run by Chemoniques :
o FAO
o BTC
FAO is developing forestry and agroforestry activities, BTC (Belgium Technical
Cooperation) will start this year a project on reforestation in the Chapare area. There
should be a level of coordination with the FAO and BTC in the implementation of this
project. But also with the other projects, since the past showed us that their activities
resulted in various cases to an extension of the agricultural frontier which might
generate conflicts with the proposed CDM-project.
Since reforestation is recognized as an activity which will improve local economy and
environment in the strategic plans of the municipalities and the “mancomunidad” of
municipalities, coordination with these entities is important.
Prefeasibility report Chapare
31