ExpoBosques, the tool that presents forest care experiences in the Colombian Amazon.
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ExpoBosques Mobile App
ExpoBosques
The Amazon region is the largest tropical forest in the world, represents 16% of the planet's water wealth, contributes to regulate the global climate and is characterized by a high diversity of flora and fauna. However, according to MAAP, in Colombia in 2020 140,000 hectares were deforested in the Amazon, 53% more than in 2019, affecting communities in the area, protected areas and indigenous reserves.
Being such an important area, for several years communities, companies and institutions have had experiences that contribute to the sustainable management of forests and ExpoBosques was created to make them visible and promote exchange.
This initiative developed a mobile app and web app where more than 70 representatives of communities, social organizations, companies, institutions/entities, corporations, NGOs, among others, shared their history, activities, impacts and contributions to sustainable forest management.
Last update: 17 Dec 2021
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Photo and video gallery
Context
Challenges addressed
- Limited internet access for some exhibitors living in rural areas of Colombia.
- Promote exchange agreements and/or replication of some experiences in other regions of the country.
- Articulation of entities that have experience in Sustainable Forest Management for the design of a sustainability strategy in which the platform is used as a continuous source of information that grows over time and to which sustainable forest management experiences in Colombia are added, encouraging replication and exchange processes.
Location
Colombia
South America
Process
Summary of the process
As a result of the success of ExpoBosques, with the exchange of experiences and the creation of the exchange network, the possibility of articulating with partners to develop the sustainability and institutionalization strategy was opened, in addition to having new entities interested in participating.
Building Blocks
Exchange network
The platform brought together 73 experiences associated with Sustainable Forest Management, of which 70% have been developed in the Colombian Amazon, 25% in other territories of the country and 5% are international experiences and that according to their intervention are located in one of the categories of ExpoBosques:1) Human Welfare and Governance, 2) Digital Tools, 3) Forestry Extension and Financing, 4) Forest Management and Ecosystem Services and 5) Value Addition and Commercialization.This allowed the creation of an exchange network that promotes replication, especially in the Amazon.
Enabling factors
The willingness of the entities, communities, institutions and companies to share the successes, challenges and impacts of their experiences and to participate in the exchange, made it possible to replicate new knowledge in a practical way.
Lesson learned
The exchange through a mobile application, allowed the creation of this exchange network despite the effects of the pandemic and allowed to join efforts aimed at the protection and conservation of the Amazon, also gives visibility to organizations and rural associations that carry out activities for sustainable forest management, which can promote the replication of the experiences of greatest interest.Throughout ExpoBosques, more than 3,000 interactions took place between participants and exhibitors and more than 6,000 experiences were made visible in the different forums open to the public.
Sustainability and institutionalization strategy
Together with the Ministry of Environment, the Sustainable Landscapes of the Amazon Program -ASL- World Bank and the Norwegian Embassy, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations -FAO-, World Wildfile Fund -WWWF-, Office National des Forêts -ONF Andina-, Fondo Acción and Corazón de la Amazonia, which joined ExpoBosques, we have been working on the design of a sustainability strategy to promote the platform as a continuous source of information, for which ExpoBosques has been working on the design of a sustainability strategy.Fondo Acción and Corazón de la Amazonia, which joined ExpoBosques, have been working on the design of a sustainability strategy to promote the platform as a source of continuous information, for which the following steps have been considered:
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Systematize the impacts of the experiences, (impacted areas, benefited families, commercialization, etc.), with which information on the contributions of sustainable forest management can be obtained.
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Expobosques in person, to facilitate the exchange processes and the generation of agreements to promote replication.
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Promote a regional platform to connect the experiences of different Amazonian countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, etc.) and strengthen the exchange of knowledge. This will make experiences that generate positive impacts visible and raise awareness among the general public.
Enabling factors
-The entities are quite interested in institutionalizing ExpoBosques, and have even raised the possibility of expanding it to a regional level.
-Many entities carry out activities in common territories; this allows us to join efforts to promote this platform much more.
Lesson learned
The articulation with entities that have experience and work with communities, entities, etc. opens the possibilities of achieving the institutionalization of the Expo and of taking this initiative to other regions.
Impacts
-More than 70 exhibitors shared their experiences in sustainable forest management.
-Nearly 3,000 people interactively toured the digital platforms learning about experiences in forest management, human welfare and governance, value addition and marketing, forestry extension and financing and digital tools.
-More than 6,000 views of the virtual forums of people from different parts of Colombia and countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Germany.
-More than 380 registered users in the ExpoBosques mobile app and website.
-Design of a sustainability and institutionalization route that is carried out together with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, some allies of this initiative and the World Bank.
-Consolidation of an exchange network in order to communicate knowledge and promote sustainable forest management.
Beneficiaries
-Social Organizations
-Companies
-Institutions
-Entities
-NGOs
-Representatives of rural communities
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 13 – Climate action
SDG 15 – Life on land
Story
World Timber of Colombia
Mundo Maderas de Colombia
The Carvajal Foundation and other organizations support and promote the creation of a sustainable socio-business model that fosters development through income generation for young people demobilized from groups in conflict, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), promoting the insertion into civilian life and the development of the demobilized population, fighting for an ideal: to take forward the company Mundo Maderas de Colombia S. A. S. and thus improve the future for them and their families.A.S. and thus improve the future for them and their families.
This experience generates income for participants of "Ruta de Desmovilización", developing an economic activity under the precepts of sustainable development, manufacturing wooden packaging and packing: pallets, pieces for logistic material,
pallets, repair of pallets, and wood drying.
Mundo Maderas de Colombia has consolidated its position in the packaging solutions market at a national level and complies with environmental management indicators. In addition, 100% of the wood used in the production process is reforested and legal wood.
