Cotobrus Agroecological Foundation (FAC)

Address:

l00 m. Sur del Hospital San Vito

Phone number:

+506/773-3197 

Fax:

+506/773-3197 

Email:

faccotobrus@costarricense.cr

Executive director:

Hernán Villalobos Pérez

Year founded:

1993

Mission statement:

Promote environmental education and best practices in agroecological production by providing training in organic agriculture and conservation that takes into account the experiences and knowledge exchanges between the farmers, especially in the buffer zone of the La Amistad International Park (Parque Internacional La Amistad – PILA) in Costa Rica and Panama.

 

Facilitate the establishment of integrated agroecological farms that will protect and enhance biodiversity and produce high quality products that can be processed and marketed by the farmers through a small rural business.

Major donors:

1. Conservation International (CI), Regional

2. Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Regional

3. Programa de Pequeñas Donaciones, Costa Rica - Fondo para el Medio Ambiente Mundial

4. Instituto de Desarrollo Agrario (IDA), Costa Rica

5. Fondo Embajada del Canadá

Objectives:

• Protect and enhance the biodiversity in the PILA buffer zone by strengthening the areas of biological connectivity and sustainable production.

The work is carried out in at least 15 rural communities located along the Costa Rica-Panama border, in the buffer zone of the La Amistad International Park.

Projects:

Mitigating Threats to La Amistad International Park Through Community Nature Management and Sustainable Agriculture

Summary: Through this project, the Fundación Agroecológica Cotobruseña (FAC) and Grupo Ecologista de Renacimiento para la Protección del Parque Internacional La Amistad (GERPROPILA) worked primarily in the buffer zone of La Amistad International Park that spans the Costa Rica-Panama border to enhance biological connectivity by reforesting critical areas between existing forest patches with native forest species. The reforestation work was supplemented by an environmental education program, tree nurseries, and the implementation of better agroecological practices.

Transforming Basic Infrastructure to Process Organic Coffee and Prepare Organic Inputs, Vegetables, and Fruit and Timber Trees

Summary: To strengthen the protection and conservation of natural resources and reduce environmental degradation, the basic infrastructure was installed to process transition to organic coffee and training was given on the production of organic products, vegetables, and fruit and timber trees. These efforts benefited the project beneficiaries by improving the quality of their lives.

Strengthening Protection along the Costa Rica - Panama Border of the La Amistad International Park

Summary: Fundación Agroecológica Cotobruseña (FAC) and Grupo Ecologista de Renacimiento para la Protección del Parque Internacional La Amistad  (GERPROPILA) are strengthening protection along the Costa Rica - Panama border in the Pacific sector of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve.  Uncontrolled access to this bi-national region of La Amistad International Park has made many areas vulnerable to forest fires and hunting.  Both the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) in Costa Rica and the National Environmental Authority (ANAM) in Panama have failed to control the area due to funding constraints and a lack of human resources.

Principal accomplishments:

• Consolidated at least two rural organizations in Costa Rica and Panama to coordinate and carry out bi-national projects in sustainable production and natural resources and biodiversity protection.
• Provided training in agroecology and natural resource conservation to 50 farming families in Costa Rica and Panama.
• Produced and planted at least 20,000 native timber trees on the farms of the project beneficiaries.
• Conducted an environmental education program in 12 primary schools and 2 high schools located close to the Costa Rica-Panama border.
• Established a small center to process organic coffee for national and international markets as part of the transition to organic coffee and a coffee roasting project.

Volunteers:

Volunteers can work in farming and planting native tree species in both countries, producing organic material (compost, bocashi, foliar), environmental education, processing transition and organic coffee and roasting, and organic production experimentation.

The cost of lodging, food, and local transportation is open to discussion with the prospective volunteers.

Publications:

• Promotional letter that the Cotobrus Agroecological Foundation (Fundación Agroecológica Cotobruseña - FAC) sends to all parties interested in supporting the purchase of a farm that will lead to sustainability for its projects. Two pages in Spanish.

• Proyectos Integrados de Conservación y Desarrollo Sostenible. PILA – Binacional Costa Rica – Panamá. Fundación Agroecológia Cotobruseña & el Grupo Ecologista de Renacimiento para la Protección del Parque Internacional La Amistad. 2006. Bulletin can be requested by e-mail. In Spanish.