Generalidades sobre el PFA

General Aspects of the PFA.

On this page more information about the background, objectives, agreements, methodology principles and components of the Program. Home Page Background Objectives of PFA CCAD-EU Agreement Methodology Principles Components Locations of the Pilot Zones

BACKGROUND

In response to a demand of the Central American countries, the European Union Commission offered in 1992 its financial and technical support for these countries in order to implement a regional program for sustainable development in the agricultural frontiers. The Commission proposed a regional program later known as Agricultural Frontier Program or "Programa Frontera Agricola" (PFA). After the proposal was accepted, a preparation phase began, between 1993 and 1994. During that time the team accomplished all the necessary documentation that was required for the financial approval of the European Union as well as the Central American Commission for Environment and Development CCAD (beginning of the 1995). On that same year the Central American team was selected for the Executive Unit of the Program. Since May 1996, the executive unit established its headquarters in Panama.

PFA OBJECTIVES

The global strategy of the PFA is to stop the uncontrolled colonization of the land, which is causing a destructive impact in ecosystems and natural resources of the region. For these matters, the PFA offers different economic and ecological alternatives for people in the colonization frontier.

The PFA has proposed to fulfill three specific objectives:

To introduce methods of preservation for natural resources that will enable the local population to gain proper benefits.
To establish ways and means of communication to exchange different experiences learned from local actors to speed up the innovation and systematization process to achieve a sustainable development on the agricultural frontier areas.
To support the different local governments with proposals of law and reglementation to conserve natural resources in order to sustain development

CCAD-EU AGREEMENT

This proposal was approved by the European Union Commission (EUC), being signed on January 1995. This financial agreement, between the UE and the Central American Environment and Development Commission (CCAD) was made to implement the program.

Later, on may 1996, the European Union officially contracted an European Consortium (AGRIFOR) and The CCAD hires, by means of its executor FUNDESCA Foundation, a work group of Central American experts to start on the proposal program. This work group then joined the European Consortium to start implementing the proposal on the pilot areas of Central America. After that, on August and September 1996, the Co-Direction hires the coordinators of each country and begins to prepare a Global Operating Plan for the program as well as the Annual Operating Plan.

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METHODOLOGY PRINCIPLES OF PFA.

The approach of the PFA is based on the following concepts:

To identify and support the local development initiative processes, according to the main objectives of the PFA, so that those processes will be strengthened by the external intervention.
To reinforce the local stakeholders that support the development processes in a positive capacity and to negotiate the process of creating laws for the use of natural resources.
To facilitate, sponsor and spread the exchange of ideas among the stakeholders, so that their ideas and concepts are backed up and improved.
To generate forums to establish political strategies and other mechanisms for parties to discuss about the problems or ideas and agree on mutual solutions.
To allow the participation of the local stakeholders on the discussion and reinforcement of ideas as well as the evaluation of future plans.

PFA HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY A NEW OPERATIVE PLAN, BUT THIS HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED YET.

THAT'S WHY THE INFORMATION BELOW WILL BE ENTIRELLY VALIDATED IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

EVEN THOUGH THE INFORMATION CHANGES, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE 2 COMPONENTS.

THE SPECIFIC WORKS ON EACH OF THE COMPONENTS COULD CHANGE . THE PILOT ZONES WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

COMPONENTS OF PFA

First Component :

Consists on the identification of successful experiences and to generate new solutions on 6 pilot zones that will allow the local population living near zones of high priority for conservation to improve their social and economic means without prejudicing or damaging the environment. Considering all of the above, we intend to fulfill research programs allowing the local stakeholders to participate in the process of investigative-action, education and training.

As a result of the detailed analysis on the pilot zone, we identify 5 topics that explain initiatives found in the zones of the PFA.

The activities of the program are determined to gain more benefits through the year with the direct support of the local initiators.

Topics supported by the program:

Productive Innovations: To look for productive alternatives for agriculture and agro-forestry (also includes the wood production on the remaining and secondary forests of the designated areas). It also includes eco-tourism activities, extraction of non-wood material from the forest and the sale of "environmental services" (collecting CO2 and production of water) as a good way of preserving the environment and also an alternative to improve their economic standards.
Commercialization Alternatives: To obtain sponsoring from business organizations in order to train people in technical areas on different fields of work. To identify new research areas in order to extend the program and improve the comercialization areas for the agro-forestry products, as well as the organic and green-stamps certification.
Negotiation Access to Natural Resources: land (legal process), water (several users negotiation) and the forests resources.
Decentralization of the Management of Natural Resources: includes community forest management, comanagement (between the community and the government on protected areas), transfer of emporiums to municipalities and the involvement of community based organizations into the management of natural resources.
Indigenous Territorial Classification: To establish, delimitate and map indigenous territories (to prevent squatters and external damaging such as mining and loggers on the area) and to implement the management of the natural resources by local stakeholders.

The 6 areas selected by the PFA, where the action-research is proceeding with local organizations are:

Peten, Guatemala,
Sierra de Agalta, Honduras,
Bosawas, Nicaragua,
SiaPaz, Nicaragua,
Talamanca, Costa Rica and
Darien, Panama.

Second Component:

The second component was created to guarantee that the activities carried away on the pilot zones are articulated within a regional network for exchanging ideas and diffusing them.

The local initiators have found the following limitations

Inappropriate Legal References: The regulations not always answer the interests of the activists.
Lack of Room Spaces for Discussion: The decisions are being taken in areas where the local initiators have no access at all.
Lack of Input on the Zones: Maps and other type of materials are needed by the local initiators to present their proposals at a national level.
Lack of References from other Countries: To share their successful experiences and reinforcing their argumentation.
Lack of Information on the International Corporation: To help consolidate the proposals and actions.

Four Regional actions were identified for this component.

To create a permanent monitoring system for the PFA areas at local and national levels.
To organize workshops, surveys and seminars to exchange ideas and experiences on sustainable development experiences.
To actualize or update regional projects in the CCAD.
To support the government in creating laws to solve the problems of the agricultural frontier areas.

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