FVSA: Serious About Conservation in Argentina

On Mar. 3, the international community comes together to honor World Wildlife Day, an opportunity to celebrate wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness about the urgent need for all sections of society to get serious about conservation. This event was born at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly as a reaffirmation of the intrinsic value of wildlife and its myriad contributions to sustainable development and human well-being.

To foster the sustainable use of the planet’s natural resources and conservation of its immense biodiversity, cooperation between governments, civil society and the private sector is imperative. This is especially true in Latin America, which boasts 34 percent of the world’s plant species and 27 percent of mammals, making it one of the world’s biodiversity “superpowers,” according to the World Bank.

Around 46 percent of the region’s landmass – over 9 million square kilometers – is made up of forest cover. Over the last two decades, Latin America has set a global example for conservation, setting aside a fifth of its land for protection. However, as the IADB states, the region continues to face the challenge of reconciling the “demands of growth with the need to protect and manage its habitats and resources in order to achieve sustainable development, while facing global environmental threats such as climate change.”

Many of The Resource Foundation’s (TRF) local partners contribute to conservation efforts in the region by driving innovative programs that approach environmental issues from diverse angles: education, sustainable agriculture and fishing, eco-tourism and reforestation, among others. In honor of World Wildlife Day, we’d like to take a closer look at one of our partners today: Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina (FVSA), a TRF partner since 1998.ARG FVSA Pfizer 2007 (6)

In Argentina, FVSA works to conserve protected areas, foster sustainable use of resources and promote responsible behavior in the context of climate change. It has garnered national and international recognition for its work, including an association with the World Wildlife Fund since 1988. FVSA advances its vision of a more peaceful coexistence between humans and nature by creating dialogue and offering training through field projects, policy initiatives and educational programs.

FVSA has implemented a number of such initiatives in partnership with TRF and donors including Pfizer Animal Health, Zoetis and Johnson & Johnson. Through its ecological cattle management project, FVSA trained small-scale farmers on ranching practices that both sustain wildlife in the long term and preserve productive, efficient and economically profitable pasturelands in the Samborombón region. Part of this initiative involved empowering producers to take advantage of existing technology to optimize their outputs while conserving their grasslands.

In the Atlantic Forest of the Misiones province, FVSA led a project to address the persistent challenges of deforestation and poor water quality. FVSA worked hand-in-hand with local farmers to restore the banks of the Igauzú River, and provided technical training on basic foresting techniques, sustainable practices and forest maintenance.

Visit FVSA’s profile page to learn more about and support its conservation efforts in Argentina. To explore other environmental initiatives our network is carrying out around the region, check out our interactive map.

 

By Ana Grammatica, TRF Intern, and Lisa Schohl, TRF Strategic Communications Manager