The Galápagos Conservation Coffee Experience: Consolidating Scalesia Reforestation in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos

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1 The Galápagos Conservation Coffee Experience: Consolidating Scalesia Reforestation in Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos A Proposal to the XYZ Foundation Submitted by: Greenwoods Foundation Galápagos Program Galápagos, Ecuador November 14, 2010

2 Executive Summary Thanks to the support of the XYZ Foundation, Greenwoods Foundation s efforts to revitalize the Scalesia ecosystems of the Galápagos archipelago by encouraging best practices in Scalesia/coffee agroforesty have been extremely successful. Greenwoods and our partners have established 40 hectares of Scalesia forests and Scalesia/coffee agroforests, and members of the Coffee Producers Association of Santa Cruz Island are now producing coffee fine enough to compete for awards and are in the process of gaining organic certification. During the coming year we plan to measure the socio-environmental impact of the initiative and then create a field manual that will help us and others replicate our achievements on other islands of the Galápagos and at other locations around the world. Additionally, we will continue producing native saplings to use in additional reforestation and ecological restoration projects. We respectfully request a grant of $31,848 from the XYZ Foundation to support this work. Background and Justification Over the last three years, the XYZ Foundation has generously supported Greenwoods Foundation in promoting the recovery of forests of Scalesia pedunculata, a plant species native to the Galápagos archipelago. Before people settled there, Scalesia covered the cool, moist southeastern slopes of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Santiago Islands, but extensive human habitation has had a devastating effect. Today, Scalesia forests are endangered ecosystems in the Galápagos; the tree is found only on a few of the islands and has been largely wiped out by widespread clearing and invasive species such as guava, blackberry, avocado, Cuban cedar, and sauco, a type of berry. Scalesia forests are home to many plants and animals unique to the Galápagos, and their destruction means the loss of essential ecological connectivity and biodiversity. A variety of finches that Darwin famously documented depend on these ecosystems, as do such threatened and endangered creatures as the barn owl, the yellow warbler, and the short-eared owl. Galápagos conservation authorities have little jurisdiction outside Galápagos National Park and are unable to protect biodiversity on agricultural lands and other areas of human settlement. Greenwoods and our partners are encouraging the adoption of best practices in agroforestry combining forests with agricultural production on these private lands to revitalize damaged Scalesia ecosystems. As coffee has the potential to be highly profitable in the Galápagos and is a non-invasive species that poses little risk to Scalesia, we have worked with local farmers to replace the more invasive shade trees in their coffee plantations, such as guava and avocado, with Scalesia plants. This allows the farmers to help in the recovery of the islands original biodiversity as well as to achieve organic, conservation, or bird-friendly certifications, which position their coffee to draw higher prices. With the support of the XYZ Foundation, Greenwoods and partners have planted more than 40 hectares of Scalesia forests or Scalesia/coffee agroforest and produced several thousand Scalesia saplings at the Charles Darwin Research Station nursery and at the headquarters of our partner organization, TreeTop. We are awaiting weather conditions favorable to planting these saplings in 1

3 their permanent locations on the plots of coffee producers and other farmers in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. Additionally, XYZ Foundation support has enabled the Coffee Producers Association of Santa Cruz Island to procure a mechanical peeler and an industrial-size toaster to dry-process coffee beans. Through a very productive partnership with the IDB/FOMIN project, 1 managed by the Galápagos Chamber of Tourism, the Association entered its coffee into the Golden Coffee Cup competition, where Ecuadorian coffee producers submit samples that are judged for the best combination of acidity, aroma, body, and overall taste. At this time of this writing, Santa Cruz Island s Coffee Producers Association s entry has passed the first round of selection. Project Objectives and Activities Now that our efforts have achieved phenomenal success helping local farmers produce high-value coffee good enough to compete for awards while simultaneously revitalizing the native Scalesia ecosystems of the islands we are eager to encourage others to replicate this success. The following objectives and activities are aimed at consolidating and communicating what have done over the last several years with the valuable support of the XYZ Foundation. 1. Systematically measure the impact of the different stages of Scalesia reforestation and Scalesia/coffee agroforest on native biodiversity recovery and on the livelihoods of coffee producers engaged in this initiative. We will: compare the survival rate for the Scalesia saplings we have planted with the few remaining areas where the Scalesia ecosystem is still thriving naturally. This analysis will help us determine the rate of biodiversity recovery in terms of the presence of plant and bird species, and assess the economic benefits of a) organic production techniques versus traditional production techniques; b) traditional markets versus specialized markets (organic, birdfriendly, conservation coffee, etc.); c) sales to middlemen versus direct sales to local final market; and d) sales to middlemen versus export sales. 2. In collaboration with our partners, document the Galápagos Conservation Coffee Experience to help others replicate the project in other islands on the Galápagos and places with similar characteristics. We will: create a comprehensive field manual designed to disseminate the experience and enable its replication, and share the manual with other farmers, the Galápagos National Park, the local Ministry of Agriculture, IDB/FOMIN, and other conservation organizations who will benefit from a 1 IDB/FOMIN is a project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank aimed to provide capacity building, create links between economic sectors in Galapagos and to reduce the environmental footprint of productive activities in Galapagos. 2

4 model of how to connect biodiversity conservation and recovery with the promotion of human well-being. 3. Continue supporting the production of native and endemic saplings for ecological restoration and Scalesia/coffee agroforest creation to increase the recovery of endemic biodiversity in farming areas where we have intervened, and to rebuild ecosystems in areas where we have not yet worked. We will give a grant to our local partner, TreeTop, to continue the production of native and endemic plant species. By maintaining this reliable supply of young plants, we will discourage sapling collection from the National Park, as requested by the Galápagos National Park Service. Conclusion Over the last three years, we have made tremendous progress in conserving and reviving the rich biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands, a fundamental piece of the Earth s natural heritage. Our model, which conserves and improves the island s biological richness while simultaneously increasing the economic opportunities for local communities, has proved to be effective and is also replicable. A grant of $31,848 from the XYZ Foundation will allow us to consolidate and expand our success by precisely measuring our outcomes and sharing our methods with others who might benefit from implementing this model. We thank the Foundation for its dedication to this project over the last several years, and we look forward to continuing this excellent partnership in the project s next phase. 3

5 Budget The following budget details expenditures and our request to the XYZ Foundation for this new phase of the project in the Galápagos Islands. Daily or Days or Item Unit Rate Units Funder Greenwoods Match Total PERSONNEL Technical Manager $258 6 $548 $1,000 $1,548 Galapagos Coordinator ,000 2,013 3,013 Technical Assistant Galapagos , ,950 Administrative Assistant Galapagos $ ,450 Administrative Support $974 1,150 2,124 TOTAL PERSONNEL 4,922 5,163 10,085 FRINGE BENEFITS - Fringe Benefits - Ecuador (74.22%) 3, ,653 TOTAL FRINGE BENEFITS 3, ,653 EQUIPMENT & COMMODITIES Transport, Shipment -other TOTAL EQUIPMENT & COMMODITIES SUPPLIES Office Supplies Field Supplies TOTAL SUPPLIES CONTRACTUAL (CONSULTANTS) Volunteers & Student field work , ,002 TOTAL CONTRACTUAL 2, ,002 OTHER Printing 1, , ,000 Communications- phone and fax Delivery Services Office Rent -DC or Field (monthly average) TOTAL OTHER 4, ,376 SUBAGREEMENTS FUNDAR 10, ,000 $0 10,000 TOTAL SUBAGREEMENTS 10,000 $0 10,000 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION 6,085 6,085 TOTAL $31,848 $5,163 $37,011 4

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