Equator Prize 2008

www.yawanawa.com

Full Nomination

Description: Cooperativa Agro-extrativista Yawanawá (COOPYAWA) is a representative body of the Yawanawá indigenous people of Acre State. The group endeavors to create income-generation opportunities for its members through the conservation and promotion of the Yawanawá people. Working with the extraction of native agricultural products such as urucum (a local plant used in cosmetics), the cooperative directs its investments to the Yawanawá and their communities.

Key Activities and Innovations: COOPYAWA has developed a business partnership between the Yawanawá and AVEDA Corporation. This partnership helps strengthen the Yawanawá culture while creating a sustainable economy that does not negatively impact the environment. The extraction of andiroba oil is another initiative managed by the cooperative. Extraction and sale of andiroba are conducted in a sustainable manner. COOPYAWA has also created the Yawanawá clothing brand, which feature traditional drawings and paintings and promote an economy that values the indigenous culture.

Key Impacts

Biodiversity

• Expansion and full protection of the Yawanawá tribal territory; Yawanawá land spreads over 43 percent of the state of Acre and includes 187,000 acres of the preserved territory of the Amazon

• The Yawanawá territory was approved by the Ministry of Justice, went through a process of demarcation, and was incorporated by presidential decree

Social-economic

• The Yawanawá formalized a partnership with an international cosmetic company, Aveda Corporation, on the purchase of urucum plants for cosmetics production

• Waterway transportation has been improved and modern facilities have been constructed, including a health post and a school; As a result, over 400 children and young people are attending Yawanawá local schools

• The group has established Internet access points through a partnership with the Committee for the Democratization of Informatics (CDI)

Policy

• COOPYAWA works closely with the local and federal governments, advocating for the protection of their territory

Replication

• Yawanawá's social and income generation projects have created opportunities for different indigenous groups of the Brazilian Amazon, strengthening their culture and bringing new economic alternatives to ensure a better quality of life

Partners

• Aveda Corporation
• Rainforest Concern
• Ministry of Environment - Brazil
• Acre State Government - Brazil
• Comissão Pró-Índio do Acre - CPI/AC

In the News

Ações brasileiras disputam prêmio da ONU
Prêmio Equatorial - Ações brasileiras disputam prêmio da ONU

Research

The Yawanawa-Aveda Bixa Project: A Business Partnership Seeking Sustainability in an Amazonian Indigenous Community
Governo de Estado do Acre Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Naturais

Contacts

Joaquim Tashka Luiz Yawanawa,
Laura Soriano Yawanawa
Cooperativa Agro-extrativista Yawanawa - COOPYAWA
Rua Buriti No 80 Jardim de Alah - 69914-100
Rio Branco, Acre
Brasil
Tel: + 68 322696919
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it