2 minute read
Peru
Sustainable Superfruits in Peru
The buriti, the superfruit of the Amazon, is driving large-scale rainforest conservation and securing a sustainable source of income for Indigenous Amazonian communities.
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Buriti fruit, Peru's superfruit
In the Amazon Rainforest, in northeast Peru, Nature and Culture has embarked on a sustainable livelihoods project alongside the Indigenous people of Loreto with the goal of developing a sustainable market for the buriti fruit. This fruit from the Moriche palm has powerful health benefits. Global demand is increasing for buruti for use in skin and hair care products.
Sustainably harvesting from the Buriti palm
The Moriche palm thrives in the swamps of the Peruvian Amazon, covering 7.5 million acres in the western Loreto region of Peru, which is also home to the highest density of Indigenous people in the country. Using techniques that ensure a sustainable and controlled harvest, we’ve partnered with thousands of local producers and we are working with market research firms to explore opportunities for selling this super fruit in the U.S. in oil, flake, and powder form. By securing a sustainable source of income for the Indigenous people of Loreto, this super fruit can become a powerful tool for conservation – catalyzing the protection of millions of acres to secure this natural resource.
Nature and Culture's 2021 Impact Summary in Peru
523,778 NEW ACRES PROTECTED
4 RESERVES CREATED, EXPANDED OR UPGRADED
24 RESERVES MANAGED
11 SPECIES STUDIED
86,520,488 TONS OF CARBON STORED IN NEWLY PROTECTED AREAS
49 LOCAL COMMUNITIES SUPPORTED
7 INDIGENOUS NATIONS SUPPORTED
593,542 PEOPLE WITH NEWLY PROTECTED WATER SUPPLIES
755 PARK GUARDS & COMMUNITY MEMBERS TRAINED
Our Conservation Mosaics in Peru
The areas in dark blue are regions that Nature and Culture is helping to protect; The light blue are other protected areas
