Up to 104 cultivated species can coexist in the chagras of the Jaguares del Yuruparí territory in the Colombian Amazon. Practised by Indigenous Peoples for at least 4 500 years, these farming systems use small plots, generally no larger than two hectares, organized around forest ecological cycles and Indigenous knowledge. Families cultivate cassava, plantain, pineapple, coca, fruit trees, medicinal plants and other species without synthetic pesticides, before allowing plots to regenerate as forest after five or six years.

The article explores chagras in Colombia and related chakras in Ecuador, emphasizing their ecological, cultural and livelihood functions. Research cited indicates that chagras can retain around half of native tree species, support greater biodiversity than monoculture cacao plantations and store substantial amounts of carbon. In Ecuador’s Napo province, approximately 24 000 hectares of chakras produce food alongside cacao, vanilla and guayusa. Some have been recognized by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, while commercial crops provide income for participating communities.

These systems nevertheless face growing pressures from mining, deforestation, climate change, rural outmigration and commercial demands. Mercury contamination and changing rainfall patterns are already affecting Indigenous territories and food production. The article stresses that maintaining chagras depends not only on farming practices but also on Indigenous land rights, cultural knowledge and intergenerational learning. Their experience illustrates how food production, biodiversity conservation and forest regeneration can be closely interconnected.