Protecting and promoting biodiversity

The Witzara project currently covers an area of approximately 6’000 Hectares. As part of our commitment to build a sustainable program, we have decided to preserve about 50% of this area as a natural reserve. This area regroups mainly all the natives forests alongside the rivers. An extensive inventory of the natural species has been carried out by an official organism (link to the document?) and their development will be monitored on a regular basis.

In addition preserving these protected areas, Witzara has a major contribution to the biodiversity by:

1) Reducing the traditional pasture burning:

Traditionally local cattle farmers, set fire to the pasture once or twice a year. This practice is necessary, they claim, to get rid of dried grasses and to promote the growth of fresh sprouts for cattle feeding, particularly during the dry season. These fires are a tremendous source of pollution, kill countless animals and destroy the habitat of numerous species. They are so large that they area clearly visible from the outer space and it can see on Google Earth.

By developing a sustainable forestry project, Witzara will use the land in a much efficient view thus avoiding the need for the regular fires. In addition, as part of our social program (link), we are educating local farmers in sustainable agriculture and cattle rising and rising their awareness to the needs of preserving their natural habitat.

2) Reducing the illegal logging of native forests

The local community needs good quality wood for their daily life, mostly as construction material, for uses such as planks, posts, poles etc. In the absence of a cheap and reliable source of wood, they have no alternative but to exploit the native forest, thus endangering the biodiversity and causes irreparable damages to the fauna and fauna. This is an illegal practice, but given the size of the territory, it is extremely difficult for the authorities to exercise any type of control.

The Presidency of Colombia and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry have identified the development of plantations as an effectively way to fight against the illegal logging by providing an alternative source of wood. These two entities endorse the Witzara project (link)

3) Educating local communities

As mentioned earlier it is critical to raise the awareness of the local population and to encourage them to preserve the richness of the biodiversity. Unfortunately many endangered species are still hunted either a source of food or as a source of income form illegal trade. By providing education and well paid jobs, Witzara aims at reducing this practice