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Videos
The Ethanol Lie: A Film About the Impact
of the Cultivation of Corn in Dry Forests
The biological richness of the dry forests of Ecuador has been threatened
by the high prices of corn, due especially to the international
demand for ethanol as a biofuel and to the damages caused by unusual
climatic phenomena. Besides the deforestation of many hectares of
forest that occurred between 2006 and 2008, the negative impacts
in the communities caused by such items as access to cultivated
land, use of agrochemicals, loss of native varieties of corn, and
cultural changes due to increased economic income, are also very
significant. For this reason, the problem was documented in a video
that denounces the terrible effects that biofuels are causing for
nature and society. This video was made by an independent film maker
who traveled in this region of southern Ecuador.
Amor America: Perfume from the Fruit
of the Palo Santo Tree
For many years, the dry forests of Zapotillo in southern Ecuador
harbored a resource that would offer an excellent source of income
for the poor people of the region. In 2007 and 2008, Nature and
Culture assisted the communities of Malvas, Chaquito, Paletillas
de Malvas, and Totumos (80 families in all), by developing a program
to benefit from the fruit of the Palo Santo tree. The local community
members harvest the fruit in a sustainable manner (collecting only
10% of the fruit from each tree), and then in partnership with the
Technical University of Loja the essential oils of the fruit are
extracted. These fragrant oils are sold to Natura, a Brazilian cosmetics
company that develops fine perfumes for the international market,
who then produces the Amor America perfume, which is currently marketed
in a number of countries around the world.
