{"id":175992,"date":"2025-07-31T17:35:41","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=175992"},"modified":"2025-07-31T17:55:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:55:55","slug":"ecuador-strengthens-leadership-in-deforestation-free-food-expands-global-offering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/ecuador-strengthens-leadership-in-deforestation-free-food-expands-global-offering\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador strengthens leadership in deforestation-free food, expands global offering"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador, Jul 31 (EFE).-<\/strong>\u00a0Ecuador is cementing its position as a global leader in sustainable, deforestation-free food production<\/strong>, having now added cocoa, dairy, and guayusa<\/strong> to its portfolio of products made without new forest loss. The model, spearheaded by coffee<\/strong>, is already being exported to European Union markets<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

After efforts that began in 2017, Ecuador currently has over 139,000 hectares<\/strong> in transition to sustainable, deforestation-free production. It also manages more than half a million hectares<\/strong> under responsible forest management and has restored around 1,000 hectares<\/strong> of forests and landscapes.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith the transition to sustainable production systems, we aim to improve yields, promote field schools for innovative methods, establish agribusiness centers, and strengthen value chains,\u201d
\u2014 Jessica Gallegos<\/strong>, undersecretary for Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE), told EFE.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Ecuador strengthens its position as a global leader in sustainable, deforestation-free production after adding cocoa, dairy, and guayusa to its food offering. EFE\/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Community-driven climate initiatives take root<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Ecuador has also strengthened community organizations committed to forest conservation through the PROAmazon\u00eda<\/strong> and Payment for Results<\/strong> programs.<\/p>\n

These efforts are aligned with the international mechanism REDD+<\/strong> (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock<\/strong> and MAATE<\/strong>, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

A global model attracting interest<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cThe world is looking to Ecuador as a model for sustainable, deforestation-free production. Delegations from Vietnam and Honduras, among others, have already visited the country to learn from its experiences,\u201d
\u2014 Inka Mattila<\/strong>, UNDP\u2019s resident representative in Ecuador, told EFE during a field visit to Zamora Chinchipe and Loja.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mattila highlighted adaptation, innovation, public policy, partnerships, intercultural approaches, and agribusiness centers as pillars of the strategy<\/strong>, which has benefited more than 70,000 people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Strategic international partners include the EU, United Kingdom, and Italy<\/strong>, while Ecuador\u2019s biodiversity, location, and microclimates<\/strong> offer an edge for sustainable investment.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe United Arab Emirates, for example, wants to start producing here,\u201d
\u2014 said Byron Montero<\/strong>, deputy minister for Agricultural Productive Development.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A coffee with history<\/h2>\n

Ecuador made headlines last year by exporting deforestation-free coffee to Italy<\/strong>. To celebrate, Mario Cerutti<\/strong>, sustainability manager at Lavazza<\/strong>, personally delivered cans to growers at Fapecafes<\/strong>, packaged in the colors of the Ecuadorian flag<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s good coffee that comes with added value: respect for nature, the environment, and the producers,\u201d
\u2014 Cerutti told EFE.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lavazza, which initially bought one container in 2022, has increased purchases to five this year<\/strong>, with plans to double by 2026<\/strong> and expand sales across Europe.<\/p>\n

\"Ecuador
Ecuador strengthens its position as a global leader in sustainable, deforestation-free production after adding cocoa, dairy, and guayusa to its food offering. EFE\/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Traceable dairy: dulce de leche meets sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The livestock sector<\/strong> has embraced carbon footprint reduction<\/strong> through best practices<\/strong> like free-range grazing and better animal nutrition.<\/p>\n

In Zamora Chinchipe and neighboring Morona Santiago<\/strong>, productivity rose by 25% across 108 farms<\/strong>, while emissions intensity dropped by 21%<\/strong> in one year, according to Milton Masache<\/strong> of the Zamora Chinchipe Livestock Production Cooperative<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This has led to high-quality dairy products like dulce de leche<\/strong>, now produced at the Ecolac plant<\/strong>, the first to be deforestation-free and fully traceable<\/strong> via its packaging.<\/p>\n

Guayusa: tradition blooms without deforestation<\/h2>\n

Guayusa<\/strong>, a sacred tea plant among Indigenous groups, has become a bio-entrepreneurial success<\/strong>, cultivated across 9,600 hectares<\/strong> by 417 Kichwa farmers<\/strong>\u201456% of them women.<\/p>\n

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\u201cGuayusa was traditionally grown in family plots, but now it\u2019s also cultivated on land once used for other crops, where no chemicals had been applied,\u201d
\u2014 explained Yally Grefa<\/strong>, representative of the Guayusa Agricultural Production Association<\/strong>, in an interview with EFE.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ten registered brands and four commercial agreements<\/strong> have emerged from this ancestral crop.<\/p>\n

Ecuador\u2019s message to the world: sustainable production is possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With new export-ready, deforestation-free products<\/strong>, Ecuador is solidifying its position as a global model of sustainability<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is the kind of production the planet needs,\u201d
\u2014 said UNDP\u2019s Inka Mattila<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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