Ensuring Environmental Stewardship in Paraguay

Bitter orange trees grow throughout Paraguay. However, production has declined over the last few decades, leaving plantations as well as wild trees unharvested due to lack of demand. Unfortunately, forest lands are being destroyed at an alarming pace in eastern Paraguay, so these trees and the rich biodiversity of the Atlantic forests in that area are under threat.

Farmers in Paraguay who produce Petitgrain also produce a number of other crops. Many largescale farmers will clear their land completely, planting only soy or corn. This depletes the soil and removes habitat for animals. Encouraging farmers to diversify their fields and produce Petitgrain essential oil not only provides farmers with a diverse income, but also provides environmentally friendly alternatives for land use. We have linked this project with a rural development initiative run by Fundación Paraguaya. Organised producers can work with Fundación Paraguaya to request needed funds to build or refurbish their local stills. Sourcing from Paraguay provides farmers with an economically viable alternative to clear-cutting land, dramatically helping to protect the remaining patches of the Atlantic Rainforest in eastern Paraguay.