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Worldwide, an estimated 400 to 500 million Indigenous people occupy 20% of the earth’s territory. Yet unsustainable development has caused not only the displacement of countless people, but also the destruction of much of the biodiversity on which they - and the world - depend. With Indigenous people playing a crucial role in the protection of the environment, AFD and its partners are continuing to support them, particularly in the Amazon.

Increasingly, governments, the private sector, civil society and international cooperation are investing in the bioeconomy – a range of economic activities that tap into our biodiversity. It’s an alternative and more sustainable route to development, more in tune with the fight against deforestation, desertification and ecosystem degradation. During this week’s COP15 conference on desertification, which concludes on May 20 in Abidjan, AFD Group celebrates the first anniversary of its bioeconomy technical assistance project on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The project in Ecuador has just received an additional €1 million. We interview the Technical Assistance Coordinator there, Pablo Larco.

The “Terrindigena” Project will provide support for 18 indigenous communities in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador, to improve their living conditions and protect 17 million hectares of Amazonian forest.