Use of Live Fences of Nopal (Opuntia) and Associated Crops to Rehabilitate and Protect Sloping Land in Loja, Ecuador

A live fences project in Ecuador sought to associate the idea of environmental recovery, characterized by an agro-ecological focus, with a perspective on social and economic development. Cultivation of the Opuntia cactus and the cochineal insect (Dactylopus coccus), environmentally and culturally adapted to the region, permitted the recovery of several degraded areas and generated income for rural dwellers, especially during periods of drought. Among the most important project impacts were: recovery of traditional knowledge, cultural values, ancestral skills, and inveterate attachment to communal properties; determination of the ecotones of the cactus for production of cochineal, fruits, forage, and live barriers; recovery of areas eroded by overexploitation and inadequate management; increased sensitivity among political leaders regarding the problems of desertification and the need to support a second phase of the project; decision-making by community-based organizations; and commitment of the community to the activities of the project, based on agreements between authorities, academia, and the community. In 1999, the project was honored with the “Saving the Drylands” Award given by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at Recife, Brazil, during the Third Conference of Parties (COP 3) of the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD)

Agroforestry · Biology · Desertification · Environmental planning · Environmental protection · Environmental resource management · Geography · Political science · Botanical Research and Applications · Insect Utilization and Effects · Ecology