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Dear friends and colleagues,

The work in Latin America and the Caribbean this month reiterates our commitment to conserving nature in the region and around the world.

In relation to Oceans, Peru held the third edition ofits annual Festimar festival, which takes place almost 1,800 miles along the Peruvian coastline and promotes marine conservation in over 20 fishing communities.

In Freshwater, several activities were carried on to push forward the Manchaguala river basin’s conservation and sustainable management in Honduras.

Regarding the work on Forests, WWF-Colombia launched the campaign 'FSC Take care of forests and breathe easy' which already has results at a national level. In Ecuador, a model was developed to turn sustainable cacao production into a way of financing conservation projects, which could protect the jaguar and other species. Meanwhile, WWF-Bolivia visited indigenous communities to support them in the process towards a sustainable forest management certification. 

Climate and Energy highlights include the 2018 Mexico City Modal Challenge, which evaluates road safety, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions for different modes of transportation.

In Markets, Chile signed the first agreement of its kind in the region with a supermarket chain, in order to optimize its seafood supply chain, with the aim of eliminating social and environmental threats.

Regarding the work on Governance, WWF presented the Manual of Livestock Practices for the Sustainable Development to the Paraguayan President Mardio Abdo Benitez.

In relation to Finances, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina signed an agreement with the National Bank in order to promote sustainable finances.

Enjoy the latest edition of our monthly newsletter,

Roberto Troya

Vice President
US Country Offices and LAC Secretariat
WWF

A conservation festival spanning across 1,800 miles along the Peruvian coastline

This festival has become the largest celebration for the Peruvian coastal preservation. In its third edition, Festimar will cover over 1,800 miles along the Peruvian coast, from Tumbes to Tacna, with the final aim to engage populations and local authorities in marine conservation. This initiative, promoted by WWF, will visit over 20 fishing communities, and is supported by the ministries of environment and production, among other authorities.

Sustainable management in the Manchaguala river watershed

In Honduras, the watersheds located at the Sierra del Merendón, which drain into the Mesoamerican Reef, provide water for the city of San Pedro Sula. Several activities have been carried out in the Manchaguala watershed, through the WWF and The Coca-Cola Company Alliance, in order to protect and conserve natural resources. Implementing better agricultural practices and establishing agroforestry systems are among the activities executed. One thousand fruit trees and another one thousand timber trees were recently planted in the watershed as a part of the conservation work. Communities within the Sierra del Merendón also benefited from this activity.

A label that guarantees the conservation of Colombian forests

Between May and August 2018, WWF-Colombia launched the campaign 'FSC Cares for Forests and Breathes Calmly.’ This initiative invites all consumers to look for the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label on wood and timber products -such as building materials, furniture, boards, paper and toilet paper- as this guarantees these are sourced in a sustainable way, contributing to the protection of Colombian forests. 

Consuming sustainable cacao helps jaguar conservation efforts

WWF-Ecuador and the chocolates company Pacari are now part of an alliance with Zancudo Cocha community. The goal? Learn from Pacari's experience to promote cacao production as a sustainable tool for conservation through the improvement of the community's productive capacities and the acquisition of certifications for their product.

WWF works with indigenous communities in the Bolivian forests

WWF-Bolivia organized a trip in late August with the conservation NGO BOS+ to visit the indigenous communities of Palmerito de la Frontera and Rio Blanco in the Chiquitano dry forest region of Bolivia. WWF-Bolivia has been supporting both communities, with financial support from BOS+, regarding the sustainable management of their forests. Their aim is to help them become certified from the national forest system. The community wood harvesting areas were visited to see the progress they have made in the management and use of their forests. Afterwards, community members gathered to express their opinions about the benefits of the project, the challenges they faced and their perspectives for the future.

2018 Mexico City Modal Challenge

WWF-Mexico participated in the 2018 Mexico City Modal Challenge which evaluates road safety, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions by simulating daily commutes with different modes of transportation (car, public transportation, bikes, motorcycle and walking). The challenge found that the bicycle, roller skates, the local bikeshare system and motorcycles are more efficient than private cars. The specialists concluded that cars are not a viable solution to the transportation issues in the country’s largest cities, highlighting the urgency to change the logic behind infrastructural investment.

WWF makes an alliance to improve the seafood supply chain

WWF-Chile and the Chilean supermarket chain, Jumbo, have signed an agreement to analyze the seafood supply chain of the company, with the objective of eliminating environmental and social risks. Further, Jumbo will support the WWF sustainable food campaigns for consumers, like the campaign “Déjala Tranquila,” which invites the consumers to inform themselves and respect the biological prohibition of the common or Chilean hake. This is the first MOU of its kind in Chile. The chain has stores in Chile, Argentina and Colombia, and it is a part of the multi-brand retail conglomerate Cencosud.

WWF presents sustainable development initiative to Paraguay’s President

The WWF’s initiative “Alliance for Sustainable Development” was presented at the Expo Trébol with a booth called "The path to Sustainability." The Expo Trébol is one of the most important agricultural fairs that involves the production, industry and retail sectors of the Paraguayan Chaco region. The President of Paraguay, Mario Abdo Benítez, attended this event and learned more about the different ongoing initiatives in the Chaco, such as the Alliance for Sustainable Development project, promoted by WWF, USAID and other partners. In addition, Lucy Aquino, Director for WWF-Paraguay, gave the President the Manual of Livestock Practices for the Sustainable Development, a guide with social, economic and environmental criteria defined in the framework of this project.

Agreement reached with bank to promote sustainable finance

Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Banco de la Nación Argentina to leverage mutual actions and financial incentives that promote good environmental practices, such as zero-conversio, zero-deforestation and improved production. As a part of the agreement, Vida Silvestre held a workshop on the challenges, business opportunities and socio-environmental risks analysis in the financing process.