Protecting Colombia's lands

Brut America

Helping Colombian farmers to preserve the country's fragile biodiversity is the goal of this association.   French comedian Baptiste Lorber went to Colombia with them. This is what he saw.

Transcript

00:00We call it cleaning over there, we take a land, we burn it, and then when it's done

00:26it continues to burn, even sometimes it continues to burn, we put cows in it.

00:39The agroforestry system, quite vulgarly, is that we grow trees, these trees will create shade,

00:44and with this shade we will be able to grow vegetables, fruits, and above all, keep the water in the soil.

00:51Which is very interesting in these countries where it is very, very, very hot, believe me.

00:55And as soon as there is a little bit of shade, nature takes up the space very, very quickly,

01:00as soon as we give it a little shade, a little sun and a little water, it goes extremely fast, it's quite fascinating.

01:25I was able to attend farmers who were exchanging their techniques, for example, for biopesticides.

01:37Some use garlic, some use aris, small peppers, others use cow dung for fertilizers.

01:47And everyone was learning, and it was pretty crazy because you could really see the passion in their eyes,

01:52they are real enthusiasts, you shouldn't think that they are here just for profitability.

01:56No, they love their land, they love their forests, they love the animals they have,

02:00and they are very well aware that there is a big, big problem.

02:03And besides, they try to pass this message on to their families, to their children,

02:09and especially to their, let's say, their peasant colleagues who don't necessarily do the same thing as them.

02:14There is really a whole economic virtuous circle in agroforestry, it's not just planting forests and saving nature,

02:20it's being in harmony with the forest, saying, yes, the forest can give us that and we can create an economy.

02:27Since we are in a world where everything is managed by the economy, no worries, don't worry, it works too.

02:50And it's often women who do it, but who do it in total autonomy,

02:56and who organize themselves, who make associations, who get together to do it, and then they sell these products.

03:02The social impact is already found by these associations of women who are more and more involved,

03:07who are also on the ground, who, before staying at home and taking care of the home,

03:13but today they find a new activity, they are very excited to do it,

03:18and we feel it, we feel it, there is a real pride, a real emotion,

03:22and above all a set aside of the machismo that is quite present in this country.

03:29So that's very, very strong.

03:40It's really putting everything in place so that after a few years they can leave

03:46and leave them in self-management, the goal is not to stay, it's really to accompany them,

03:52it's development, and then they leave.

03:55That's the success, it's when they leave, that's when they are happy, it means that they have succeeded.

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