Siemenpuu started planning a Latin America cooperation programme in 2007 and launched it in 2009. Through the programme projects focusing on analysis of large scale monocultures´ impacts and the search of sustainable alternatives are supported.

Siemenpuu´s previous contacts and experience related to Latin American civil society were used in the planning process of the cooperation programme in addition to a thematic call for funding applications.

In 2009, seven positive project funding decisions were made within the programme. During 2010 approximately 108 000 euros will be transferred to projects through the programme´s four partner networks.

Partner networks:

• The World Rainforest Movement (WRM): especially in its role as the secretariat of the Latin American Network against Monoculture Tree Plantations (RECOMA) and as the host of the Uruguayan Grupo Guayubira that works on native forests and tree plantations. WRM is an international advocacy network that works for saving the world’s rainforests. Plantation issues are one of its main themes.
• Acción por la Biodiversidad: the Argentina based network promotes sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on local knowledge and ownership of genetic resources by people. The Via Campesina network is one of AcBio’s main partners.
  
• Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC): Many of the national organisations of Friends of the Earth in the region work on plantation issues. Friends of the Earth Finland is one of the founding organisations of the Siemenpuu Foundation.
  
• Aliança dos povos da floresta: an alliance based in the Brazilian Amazon and founded by the indigenous peoples’ organisation COIAB (Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira), extractivists’ CNS (Conselho Nacional das Populações Extrativistas) as well as the Amazonian umbrella NGO, GTA (Grupo de Trabalho Amazônico).
  

Programme guidelines

The purpose of the Latin America programme is to support land and other rights of local communities in areas under direct influence of large scale monocultures or threatened by them.

Projects that focus on one or more of the following aims may be funded through the programme:

• Initiatives originating from local communities,
• Strengthening of local communities,
  
• Local management and sustainable use of forest resources,
  
• Initiatives related to establishment and maintenance of community based conservation areas,
  
• Regional, national and international advocacy related to large scale monocultures (e.g. information sharing, lobbying, campaigning),
  
• Promotion of diversified small scale farming as an alternative to large scale plantations,
  
• Strengthening of regional networks or environmental actors,
  
• Strengthening of the NGO capacity related to the monoculture issues.
  

The most immediate challenges regarding large scale monocultures in Latin America are related to tree plantations (e.g. eucalyptus and pine tree cultivations promoted by the pulp and paper industry and oil palm cultivations for food and agrofuel purposes) in addition to cultivations of genetically modified soy bean.