Indigenous peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean: guardians of knowledge, land, and food

11/08/2025

In Latin America and the Caribbean, more than 54 million Indigenous men and women enrich the cultural, food, and spiritual diversity of our region. Their ways of life are deeply intertwined with the land, forests, rivers, and seas. They not only preserve millenary traditions but also safeguard essential knowledge to face the great challenges of our time: biodiversity loss, climate change, and the urgent need to transform agrifood systems toward more sustainable and resilient models.

However, many Indigenous Peoples live in poverty, face higher risks of malnutrition and undernourishment, and are particularly vulnerable to food and environmental crises. They also face daily pressures from development models that threaten their territories, culture, and worldviews.

This August 9, International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, FAO pays tribute to these peoples as key allies in achieving food security and planetary sustainability. Their food systems, based on diversity, respect, and reciprocity with nature, have nourished entire generations and continue to offer innovative solutions to global challenges.

Through four life stories shared by Indigenous communities in the region, we will learn about their work with FAO to strengthen their connection with the land, preserve ancestral knowledge, and generate new forms of resilience.

Sustainable microfinancing by the Shuar in Ecuador's Amazon rainforest

Raquel Antún and Tarcila Ankuash are Shuar women from Ecuador's south-central Amazon region. They are members of the Tsapau Agricultural Association, dedicated to conserving and restoring biodiversity in the Amazon. Their work focuses on the Aja Shuar (traditional garden), an ancestral farming system that promotes agro-biodiverse production, soil regeneration, pollinator conservation, and the protection of the Amazon jaguar ecosystem.

Within the association, Raquel and Tarcila's voices are heard and respected. They manage a savings and investment fund and are responsible for ensuring that profits benefit their community, located in the Shuar Center of San Luis de Inimkis, Morona Santiago province.

For years, they struggled to access loans because their system of collective land ownership didn't meet the requirements of traditional financial institutions. Today, the savings and investment fund offers three lines of credit: for production, education, and emergencies.

"We saw that it was very necessary to have an investment fund in the community. We have production expenses, or our children are studying, and this fund allows us to continue our activities," explains Raquel Antún.

Through the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) mechanism—funded by Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, among others—FAO provided comprehensive and participatory support. This included reforming the association's statutes to diversify value chains and formalizing economic activities. Currently, FAO is helping them obtain sanitary registration to access new markets and expand their knowledge of native bees and modernized honey production techniques. FAO has also provided technical assistance on the intersection of gender, climate change, and food security.

Alongside boosting the local economy, such as through a youth-led meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping) bio-enterprise, this microfinance mechanism promotes conservation of natural heritage and revalues cultural heritage.

"Highland Açaí" production in Bolivia's Tacana Indigenous Territory 

For the first time, Indigenous communities in La Paz, Bolivia, are commercially producing açaí—a prized Amazonian superfood—revitalizing idle infrastructure, forging new partnerships, and empowering women. 

The first commercial lot of açaí, produced in San Buenaventura and Ixiamas and delivered to the Bolivian Food Company (EBA), totals over 8,060 kilograms of pulp. This was achieved through the collective effort of the communities of Carmen Pecha, Santa Rosa de Maravilla, and Tumupasa, all part of the Tacana Indigenous Territory. 

"We needed something like this because we women are responsible for our children. This will help us increase our income without leaving the community," says Siria Macuapa, leader of Carmen Pecha. 

Lack of technical assistance, training, and market access had left local processing plants abandoned. This changed with the technical alliance promoted by FAO through the Sustainable Forests Project, funded by the EU Environmental Platform and Sweden. Partners included WWF, EBA, and the private company Biofood. 

With this support, communities ensured a safe and efficient harvest and reactivated the processing plants. "This is my first time harvesting açaí. I learned two climbing techniques. At first it was hard, but practice will help us improve and make better use of our açaí," says Víctor Hugo Dumay, from the Santa Fe community. 

In Santa Fe, a group of women led the reception, quality control, de-pulping and final dispatch of the fruit. 

For the Tacana Indigenous People, this project is not just economic, it's about territorial management, culture, gender, and generations. As Indigenous leader Jorge Canamari puts it: "Thirty-three years ago, we pledged to protect this territory. Today, this first açaí lot reflects that commitment: it is life for our people and respect for our culture." 

Ancestral wisdom of the Pemón people and modernity for Venezuela's biodiversity

Calixto Williams is a 36-year-old forest engineer born in southern Venezuela in the Indigenous community of San Antonio de Yuruaní, located in the Gran Sabana, Bolívar State. A descendant of the Pemón people, he grew up listening to his grandparents and parents speak about their land.

When he returned to the Gran Sabana, the knowledge he gained at university complemented the traditional wisdom he had inherited, providing him with a unique perspective to address the challenges faced by his community: conserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable development, especially as the overexploitation of natural resources threatens the balance of this ecosystem.

While teaching at a local school, Calixto dreams of a future in which Pemón children continue learning their ancestral traditions.

The project "Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in the Caroní River Basin, Bolívar State," implemented by Venezuela's Ministry of Ecosocialism (MINEC) and FAO, relies on leaders like Calixto. He supports the project in developing community plans and in the sustainable use of non-timber forest products.

The initiative addresses the needs of remote communities that lack access to basic services by promoting sustainable agriculture, supporting local enterprises, and advocating for better access to health care and education.

"One of the project's actions is a productive gardens program that makes use of plant residues. This helps reduce pressure on forests and diversifies the available produce in the savanna and in households. Right here we have cassava planted. It also eases the burden on many women who would otherwise have to walk more than two hours to cultivate and return home with food," Calixto explains.

Calixto's story is one where ancestral wisdom and modern knowledge converge. His life serves as a bridge between two worlds, proving that it is possible to preserve Indigenous traditions while embracing the tools and knowledge of the contemporary world.

Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of Suriname shape their own future with upland rice

In Suriname, the "Upland Rice" project is being implemented in the villages of Apoera, Section, and Washabo in the west of the country, and Witagron in the north-central region. It is carried out in collaboration with Indigenous and Tribal Peoples' organizations VIDS and KAMPOS. The initiative focuses on promoting the cultivation of this rice variety, especially among women in Indigenous communities, to improve food security and generate income.

Access to Witagron is difficult, and people depend on what the land provides. The village elder, Noldea Josea, says the introduction of rice cultivation has the potential to change Witagron's destiny. "This is something all the women here have wanted to do for a long time," she says.

This initiative is part of the joint FAO-UNDP program "Leaving No One Behind: Strengthening Resilience and Improving the Livelihoods of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Suriname," which includes a component focused on improving livelihoods, climate resilience, and food security through women farmers' networks.

Apoera is another remote village. All goods and services must be transported from the capital, Paramaribo, via a long road journey and upstream river navigation. Victor James, village counselor and sub-captain, says that rice has added a new dimension to agriculture. "It is mostly women who are leading this effort," he explains. 

The women of Apoera are excited about the potential of a new source of income. For years, they have cultivated bananas, cassava, passion fruit, and pomtayer (yellow malanga), but with limited market access and low-income generation. "It looks like there's a good future ahead. I can see myself with my own rice farm to feed from," says Mayfield Frederick, a grandmother of five.

The project provides women with training in soil management, modern planting methods, and sustainable rice cultivation. It also supplies guidance, tools, and equipment to grow upland rice, including access to a mini rice mill.

"Before the pilot project, we used to plant rice in a different way from what we were taught here. The training uses a more modern method," reflects Daphne Lengaart from Washabo village. "This rice is worth it! It's better and healthier because we don't use pesticides," she adds, expressing her gratitude for the opportunity to serve her community and pride in being part of its economic fabric.

The training manuals and mechanized equipment—essential tools—allow these women to share their knowledge with their communities, providing resources for resilience and women's empowerment.

For these Indigenous and Tribal women farmers, the greatest impact of the project is self-determination—control over their resources and decision-making power over their future. In a cultural setting where men have traditionally held control over agricultural assets and resources, the project gave women access to training, technology, and tools that promote equal economic opportunities.