In 2008, Ecuador launched a new program call Socio Bosque, or “Forest Partners”. The program provides “economic incentives for farmers and indigenous communities who voluntarily commit to the conservation and protection of native forests, moors, and other forms of natural vegetation.” The program aims to protect 4 million hectares of land and to include 1 million participants. Though Socio Bosque has seen rapid growth in participation and amount of protected land since 2008, many concerns have been raised regarding the implementation of the current program and its future incorporation within a United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism.
In light of the rapid expansion of Socio Bosque and the accompanying concerns, this report provides an initial legal analysis of the program’s implementation in its current form and the possible implications for collective rights in the short and long term for those involved.
Please contact Kevin Koenig, Amazon Watch’s Ecuador Program Coordinator, to learn more about this issue.
Download Executive Summary (English)
Download Full Report (Spanish)
