The pilot project “Boosting Indigenous Nature-Based Business Models” has been selected as one of the Top 500 sustainability projects in Latin America and the Caribbean by Premios Verdes. We celebrate this news together with our Emberá-Wounaan brothers and sisters from Darién, Panama. 

The project is led by the FSC Indigenous Foundation and the IDB Lab (the Inter-American Development Bank’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab), with support from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Health in Harmony (HiH).

Forest Health and Indigenous Peoples 

The project focuses on a specific group of Indigenous communities, where, through a biodiversity monitoring system supported by artificial intelligence, 211 high-value species (9 of which are endangered) were identified, including 199 birds, five mammals, and seven amphibians, representing a significant advance in local knowledge of the biodiversity present in community forests.

This initiative supported the Emberá-Wounaan peoples in sharing their knowledge about forest health and the importance of the species that inhabit their territories. In this context, Muriche Cheucarama, leader of the Puerto Lara community, noted: “With this knowledge, the people must take further steps to meet their goals and achieve greater sustainability through the forest. Everything that is being done is for the benefit of the community.”

Co-creation of an innovative label

At the heart of the initiative is the creation of a distinctive label that recognizes the contributions of Indigenous Cultural Landscapes and helps connect Indigenous products and services with consumers and markets that value culture, conservation, and sustainable livelihoods. To support its development, FSC-IF has begun working with Indigenous focus groups to ensure that the label reflects Indigenous perspectives, priorities, and realities.

Community Thriving Narrative 

In addition, the project incorporates the Community Well-being Narrative as a key component of the monitoring system, in partnership with HiH, If Not Us Then Who, and Ulu Films, with the aim of gathering and presenting a qualitative account of community well-being as told by Indigenous Peoples themselves.

As part of this initiative, the communities produced videos based on the topics of greatest local interest. In Puerto Lara, the video addressed the issue of access to drinking water; in Alto Playón, the narrative focused on the impact of migration on local livelihoods; and in Arimae and Embera Puru, the video documented the impacts experienced during the protests against Law 462 in 2025 in Panama.

This process also helped build local capacity in the use of audiovisual tools as a means of expression, documentation, and community outreach. As young Samuel Cheucarama from the community of Puerto Lara put it, “We never thought this could happen—to see the video we recorded ourselves.” He added, “We learned a lot, and there were some points that really struck me, because just imagine that with videos alone we can create a story, record it, and publish it. Plus, this town is a tourist destination, and there are organizations we can support through this.”

Self-determination and Indigenous Rights 

All of this work is carried out in accordance with the principles of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), data sovereignty, and respect for Indigenous rights, combining innovation and ancestral knowledge in digital solutions validated by the Indigenous Peoples themselves.

Other initiatives, such as the community of practice, create a space for learning among Indigenous Peoples, which becomes a key tool for identifying their own paths to development, while strengthening community governance and the capacity to make long-term decisions.

Another key component of the project is participatory long-term economic planning through the FSC Economic Viability Tool. This process helps communities identify opportunities and challenges, and make collective, data-based decisions that increase their well-being.

Learn more about the project