What development alternatives exist for indigenous peoples that come from within? There is no single answer to this question, but when analyzing the options, those projects that are transversal, practical and that come from within, stand out. Bioenterprise initiatives meet these criteria, which is why they have gained so much relevance in recent years. A Bioenterprise is much more than an invented word, and it’s more than just a fashionable expression. Nowadays, a web search for the term returns more than 40,000 results, which in turn lead us to pages about news, calls, and other announcements related to the topic. The reality is that, in some way, Bioenterprises represent a new paradigm in the field of environmental conservation and strengthening of indigenous cultures. Gone are the days where a dogmatic vision of environmental conservation prevailed, in which there was no space for the conservation and strengthening of the indigenous cultures that inhabit the territories. It is becoming increasingly clear that it is necessary to see environmental and cultural conservation as two sides of the same coin. Bioenterprise initiatives represent this vision, one that puts at the center the immense cultural value of products from indigenous communities. The benefit of promoting these types of products is twofold. On one hand, it contributes to the family economy, and on the other, they create a new source of income that is independent of the exploitation of natural resources, reducing the pressure on the forests. Additionally, throughout these initiatives, the cultures and worldview of indigenous peoples are strengthened.
Fundación Raíz, a strategic ally of Equitable Origin and the indigenous CEFO in Ecuador, has been executing since June 2021 a project to strengthen Bioenterprises in Siona and Siekopai indigenous communities in the Amazon. This project is financed through the Small Grants Program (SGP) of the UN, in coordination with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, and the German Cooperation KFW. This project is focused on carrying out bioenterprises based on cassava (Manioc esculenta) and chontaduro (Bactris gasipaes), two fundamental crops for both the Siona and Siekopai cultures and for the vast majority of Amazonian Indigenous cultures. The project is focused on 3 main lines of action: the revaluation of the chakras (indigenous biodiverse gardens), the organizational strengthening of women’s productive associations, and gastronomic training for the transformation of products and implementation of good sanitary and production practices. A key actor in the territory has been the Waiya Women’s Association «ASOPROASIENW«, represented by Leorvis Piaguaje, previously interviewed by the CEFO within the Indigenous Voices segment.
This Association produces products based on cassava and has been marketing Neapia for a little over 3 years, a chili sauce typical of the Siekopai people but which is also made in other Amazonian villages under the name of black tucupi, kumaji, black chili, kanyzi pudidy and cassareep. In recent years, this sauce has gained prominence and has caught the attention of chefs due to its characteristic umami, the so-called «fifth taste». Raíz is working together with the association to commercialize this product and position it in the market. One outstanding feature of the project has been its associativity and its practical application. Fundación Raíz has worked with other NGOs, public institutions, local governments, and the private sector in various activities to strengthen productive chains within communities. Together with espai-epicur, for example, 12 young people from communities were trained, of which 6 received scholarships with funds administered by Fundación Raíz and 6 with funds from Fundación Centro Lianas, an organization that works on native fish farming in indigenous communities. This scholarship provided a unique perspective and new skills to community managers, who were trained in Quito not only in gastronomic issues but also in accounting and management. Articulated to the scholarship and the project as such, the Latitud Cero event was developed, an event held annually that, in its last phase, had the concept “From the jungle to the table”. This event was an opportunity to highlight ingredients that are not only from the jungle, but are the product of ancient cultural processes carried out by indigenous communities. Another instance where associativity was put into practice was during the construction of a collection center in the Waiya community. This center was built with funds from two NGOs allied to Raíz, Fundación Alianza Ceibo and the Rainforest Foundation through the Amazon Emergency Fund (AEF) program. Additionally, Raíz worked together with the GAD of the province of Sucumbíos for the preparation of the land and the organization of an inauguration event. Raíz will continue working on this project, through actions that lead to the positioning of bioenterprises and the associations that support them, focusing on their sustainability.
The key to the success and current relevance of Bioenterprises as an approach revolves around one concept: the revaluation of indigenous products. These products tell a story, and their value lies in both their own characteristics and in the context in which they are conceived. Behind each bioenterprise there are cultural practices and expressions of the worldview of indigenous peoples. These practices are thousands of years old and go hand in hand with processes of relevance and impact worldwide, such as the domestication of species or the creation of tools for the transformation of raw materials. The dissemination of these bioenterprises can open the door to the general public to a world of cultural and environmental richness, but also of struggle. This last point is extremely important, since women are almost always behind Bioenterprise initiatives, women who for a long time have played a secondary role within their communities, being economically marginalized due to their exclusion from the jobs offered by extractive industries and monoculture agriculture deep into the territory. Jobs that have been occupied mainly -if not exclusively- by men. With bioenterprises, women from indigenous communities have an opportunity to get ahead, closing that social and economic gap inside and outside the communities, and fostering in the process a new and strong appreciation for their own products and the processes that sustain them.
Freely download «The Siekopai farm», this interesting guide seeks to motivate young families to cultivate their farms again and not miss out on the plants of the Siekopai culture.