25 May 2012: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) presented the results of an ongoing project that supports participative management for sustainable agroforestry development within the indigenous community of Piaroa Gavilán in the Venezuelan Amazon.

The main goals of the project are to preserve the natural resources of the Amazon, while ensuring food security for indigenous populations. The project provided families with the tools and resources to construct and sustainably manage plant nurseries and agro-forestry land patches.

According to the GEF, through these activities the community achieved a more reliable harvest that allowed them to sell local variety produce in local markets, while contributing to biodiversity conservation by applying sustainable agroforestry techniques to degraded areas. [GEF Press Release]