Talks and Workshops

Yachana Lodge in Ecuador: A model in eco-tourism that works
FUNEDESIN employs an innovative development model based on a non-profit/for-profit organizational structure to fight poverty and disease, foster grassroots community organizations, and conserve Ecuador’s imperiled tropical forests.

In 1995, we constructed Yachana Lodge on the banks of the Napo River in the Ecuadorian Amazon. After seven years of operation, the Lodge is an internationally recognized ecotourism destination. In 2000, we started Yachana Gourmet, an ecologically conscious company designed to purchase local agricultural commodities, add value to these products in the jungle, and open international markets for the value-added goods. One hundred percent of the profits from both companies support FUNEDESIN’s sustainable development and environmental conservation projects.

Our innovative development model allows us to: (1) provide medical care for 10,000 impoverished indigenous living in rainforest communities on the banks of the Napo River; (2) provide agricultural technical assistance for 3,000 farm families in three provinces; and (3) buy and protect thousands of acres of tropical rainforest. I believe the obvious success of our non-profit/for-profit model would be an excellent lecture topic.

In addition to giving a lecture, I would also enjoy teaching a workshop on ecotourism. FUNEDESIN and Yachana Lodge’s integrated approach to development and ecotourism has drawn international attention and is serving as a model for other ecotourism destinations and organizations. The author of the Lonely Planet Travel Guide to Ecuador distinguishes Yachana Lodge as “the best true example of eco-tourism I’ve found in 17 years of travel in Ecuador”. Also, in April 2002, Yachana Lodge received the Latin American Integration Award presented by CIPIS, the International Chamber of Researchers for Social Integration, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for being one of the best eco-tourism destinations in all of Latin America.