Grande Dame Nature
Can you tell us about your project?
The Peruvian government entrusted me with the Yanayacu-Maquia conservation concession, which represents nearly 40,000 hectares and is home to the largest peat bog in South America. Since 2006, I have been working to save this tropical rainforest in the heart of the Amazon. A treasure of biodiversity that I strive to preserve with the local populations.
What does the Terre de Femmes Prize mean to you?
Lots of hope. And a new stage in the preservation of peat bogs, lagoons, rivers… or even aguajales. The aguaje, a superfruit with strong economic potential, is grown there in a sustainable way: a real opportunity for the local populations. Thanks to the Prize, we will launch a new phase of the project. Objective: considerably improve the living conditions of the inhabitants!
How are your actions virtuous for local populations?
It is their life that is at stake. By involving them in the conservation of the forest and in the cultivation of the aguaje, we improve their economic power, their quality of life, their autonomy. This is especially true for women, who generate income and empower themselves. For this, training and awareness are essential.
How is this project an adventure for you?
When I returned from France to Peru, I was blown away by the beauty of this exuberant nature, and horrified to see it deteriorated. On a whim, I embarked on the adventure. A friend told me recently: “If you had thought, you would not have achieved all this! “.
Find Lotty and her association Amazonian Biodiversity on their website and social networks:
