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One of the most serious problems of Latin America is the continuing destruction of the natural resources and the related degradation, especially the erosion of the nutritive substances in the soil.
As a result, many regions are facing increasing deforestation, soil erosion and soil degradation, deterioration of water availability and quality, flooded valleys and lowlands, sedimentation of irrigation systems and a decrease in biodiversity.
In most regions, either the growing population pressure, inadequate land cultivation (maize in the case of Michoacan), or a combination of both factors are responsible for the degradation of the land.
But small farmers are offered no alternatives to increasingly utilizing peripheral and ecologically unsuitable regions and inappropriate forms of farming, as long as no different way of earning income – such as sustainable forestry - is properly introduced.
In order to stop this desctructive development, Fair Travel assists the Social Afforestation Project Michoacan (SAMP) in reintroducing local types of trees, reversing soil degradation, and, in turn, maintaining soil fertility. This complex and comprehensive approach is only possible thanks to the fruitful collaboration with local rural communities of the project region, the local NGO Reforestamos Mexico and the Geophysical Institute of Michoacan, which collected extensive data regarding the geographical conditions, ground water, climate, traditional types of trees, and legal aspects in regard to community land.
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