Paraguay’s Ava Guarani Community Safeguards Yerba Mate Amid Climate Threats

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Indigenous community in Paraguay protects traditional yerba mate production while facing challenges from monocultures and drought through sustainable practices.

The Ava Guarani indigenous community of Ka’aty Miri San Francisco, located in Capiibary, San Pedro, Paraguay, is safeguarding the traditional cultivation of yerba mate while protecting 400 hectares of native forest. Facing the dual threats of expanding monocultures and climate change, this community of 30 families considers yerba mate both a sacred and medicinal plant central to their culture and livelihoods.

Supported by the PROEZA project (Poverty, Reforestation, Energy, and Climate Change), the community has enhanced its cultivation and processing techniques for yerba mate. According to community leader Ariel Benítez, this initiative has strengthened their traditional production methods and enabled direct commercialization of their products, fostering economic resilience.

However, the community confronts major challenges, including prolonged droughts and exposure to pesticides from neighboring soybean plantations. Despite these adversities, they remain committed to ancestral practices. Remarkably, they have achieved a 99% success rate in planting over 1,500 yerba mate seedlings, a testament to their dedication and sustainable approach.