SOCODEVI - Canadian Cooperation Society for International Development

Published purpose

The Inclusive Development of the Green Tara Value Chain in Bolivia - SAYARIY (Quechua language word that means to stand up, with strength and energy to consolidate our work and achieve our dreams) project aims to ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability of producing families, mainly from indigenous communities. The tara pod is extracted from the seeds of a tree high in the Andes. Tara is a high value crop used in the tanning of premium leather. Its seeds are used as stabilizing ingredients in cosmetics and food. This Andean plant improves soil quality, promotes biodiversity and helps combat the impacts of climate change. The project aims to regenerate tara production by planting new trees in areas where it had disappeared and where the land is severely degraded. It also contributes to developing the entire value chain from production to marketing, in order to guarantee its profitability, increase the annual income of families and ultimately stimulate the local economy. Finally, the project aims to increase the resilience of vulnerable indigenous populations to climate change and to the diversification of agroforestry in rural areas of Bolivia. Increasing the family income of tara producers will contribute to reduce their food insecurity and diversify their income-generating activities.