Background and Mission
Facing the Facts:
Nearly 50% of the world's population are farmers.
The world's poorest populations live in the world's, biologically, richest regions.
Rainforests cover less than 2% of the earth, yet host over 50% of all plants and animals.
Sustainability requires living within the regenerative capacity of the biosphere.
Nearly 90% of the world's poorest billion depend on forests for their livelihoods.
What we see:
Both industrial farming and swidden farming can create
non-sustainble enviornments.
Existing and locally adapted plants and animals can be farmed sustainably to yeild new sources of income.
Economic growth
fueled by natural resource consumption is devastating natural habitats.
Rainforests have tremendous potential to be a valuable resource to local people and the world.
People and the environment are already poised to have a mutually beneficial relationship.
Project Background:
In 2001, Catherine Craig, CPALI’s founder, was inspired to create CPALI after witnessing the effects of natural resource over-harvesting on wildlife at Gombe Stream National Park. Tanzania. Over a period of just 30 years, the critical, protective border forest around the park had been decimated. Craig decided to try to design a new way to address the needs of people living near fragile protected areas by introducing natural resource farming and links to developed world markets. CPALI was founded in 2003 with the goal of working with local communities to design native resource gardening that benefitted from seed populations derived from the protected the areas. A history of wild silk production, unique and threatened wildlife and severe poverty led CPALI to initiate wild silk gardening in northeastern Madagascar.
CPALI Mission:
Strengthen the capacity of CPALI's locally run farmer and artisan partner organization, SEPALIM, to develop and implement its nature-based solutions by creating market opportunities for its sustainably produced goods and by offering financial and scientific support