プロジェクト・活動情報

The Caoba (Swietenia macrophylla; King), which grows in the tropical rainforest, is of great commercial value, but is now listed as an endangered species on CITES by illegal logging and forest pests and diseases. Peru was a major exporter of the tree in the 1990s, but now imports it.

This project was designed to prepare the foundation necessary to address the endangerment and increase its utilization. This project is interested in the ex-situ conservation and plantation of endangered Caoba not conservation in the habitat.   The biggest achievement of this project is to create and distribute reports that systematize knowledge and experience through successful case analysis, and it is expected that this will help expand investment for the ex-situ conservation and utilization of Caoba in the mid to long term.

There are several successful examples of planting Caoba in semi-arid areas along the northern coast of Peru. The purpose of this project is to analyze such cases to prepare a foundation of knowledge and information that can be preserved by plantation in the semi-arid area along the northern coastal area of Peru.
The purpose of this project is summarized as follows:

• Systematizing and publishing the knowledge and experiences on Caoba planting.
• Expanding interest of government and businesses for investing in Caoba conservation and plantation.
• Enhancing social interest in Caoba conservation and plantation.

To this end, discussions, workshops, and training with the government, businesses, and various stakeholders will be developed while analyzing successful cases. Through this process, not only will knowledge for ex-situ conservation and afforestation of Caoba be secured, but also interest in conservation and investment in Caoba from the government, businesses and society will be enhanced.

The main beneficiaries will be a) The private sector, entrepreneurs, who have taken the initiative of establishing experimental plantations in this area, b) The communities owning the land for plantations, c) The public sector and NGOs related conservation.

This project proposal is supported by the National Forest Administration (SERFOR), the association of forest plantations in the northern coastal region of Peru, the regional Government of Lambayeque and several rural communities of this region as well as research and academic institutions.