Colcocoa

Huila

Forest Positive Coalition

Local indicators 

SourceUp Core

The Andean-Amazonian Corridor HYLEA, located in the department of Huila, Colombia, is characterized by its rich biodiversity and its importance as a transition zone between the Andes and the Amazon. The area of the Pact corresponds to 14 municipalities: Acevedo, Agrado, Algeciras, Baraya, Campoalegre, Colombia, Garzón, Gigante, Guadalupe, Hobo, Neiva, Rivera, Suaza and Tello, which occupy an area of 826,900 hectares. The landscape is a mosaic of land covers, the most predominant being dense highland forests, galleries, riparian forests, wooded and clearing grasslands, and dense non-forest grasslands. The total area of conserved forests is 250,000 hectares, however, the entirety of the forest is not covered by the protected areas within the Andean Amazonian Corridor HYLEA which covers 116,570 hectares. The water resources of the Andean-Amazonian Corridor are fundamental, not only for biodiversity but also for the livelihoods of the 14 municipalities that comprise the department of Huila. Huila stands as Colombia's leading coffee producer, and within the HYLEA landscape, coffee cultivation encompasses an impressive 44,746 hectares, representing 30.5% of the department's total of 146,870 hectares. In addition, Huila contributes significantly to cocoa production, with 4,289 hectares dedicated to this crop within the landscape, which represents 58.6% of the total of 7,320 hectares in the department. To move towards a broader vision of sustainable landscape, local stakeholders have signed HYLEA's Andean-Amazon Corridor Pact. This initiative, which has the participation of 38 municipal, regional, national, NGO and private sector actors, seeks to promote effective actions for the conservation of ecosystems, the improvement of agricultural productivity and the implementation of sustainable practices, and social inclusion.&nbsp;

The Cacao Effect (TCE) – Huila Extension contributes to better living conditions of small cocoa producer families and their surrounding communities while protecting their environment. This proposal will replicate The Cacao Effect Agreement, including an ecosystem protection approach in the municipalities of Algeciras and Hobo, located in Huila. Selected by the National and Regional Government as a PDET zone and prioritized by Luker for its high-quality cocoa, which is one of the preferred export inputs, makes this area a perfect fit for the project. The proposal includes 5 objectives: 1.Motivate small cocoa producers to participate in the triple impact model. (inclusion). 2.Increase crop production through sowing new crops and/or rehabilitating current cocoa crops in the farms of small cocoa producers. (production). 3.Enhance the technical, commercial, and administrative skills of the cocoa producers’ associations. (production). 4.Strengthen the cocoa producer’s family participation in economic activities, with a strong gender approach. (inclusion). 5.Promote the protection of ecosystems (fauna and flora) on each farm. (protection).
 All current TCE partners support this project extension: USAID, Luker Chocolate, Fundación Luker, Eafit University, Enel-Emgesa and Fundación Saldarriaga Concha.

Supported Initiatives

Huila