Protecting forests and people

17/11/2015

FAO and the World Bank are supporting the Argentine Government to improve forest management and the livelihoods of small-scale forest producers in the country's northern Gran Chaco ecoregion.

The Gran Chaco produces most of the country's timber, firewood and charcoal. But agricultural expansion and uncontrolled logging are destroying large tracts of natural forest in the ecoregion, degrading soil and water resources, wiping out biodiversity and increasing carbon emissions. Poverty − rates are two to three times higher here than in the rest of the country − and limited development options, services and infrastructure are driving the deforestation.

The project, largely prepared by FAO and funded by a loan from the World Bank for more than USD 58 million, seeks to build capacities within communities to sustainably manage and conserve forest resources, adopt climate-smart agriculture and livestock production and access markets and services, including financial services. It is also introducing more fuel-efficient cooking stoves and charcoal kilns. Raising community awareness on forest-related issues, indigenous rights and land tenure security services, and improving forest monitoring and information systems, are other important components of the project.

The project complements and builds on ongoing FAO and World Bank support in Argentina in promoting sustainable natural resource use, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and conserving biodiversity.