About 1,800 members of the Comuna Rio Santiago-Cayapas now have jobs that depend upon keeping nearby rainforest lands standing. They sustainably harvest tagua nuts from the forest floor when the cabeza containing the nuts ripens and falls.

Each tree contains several cabezas and it may take 3 - 8 years for the cabeza to fully mature. Other employment comes from the hand-crafted creation of figurines and jewelry by local artisans. Training has empowered others to help run the business.

This Comuna is adjacent to the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, a very diverse rainforest hotspot, and is the only protected area where much of the forest land has already been destroyed. Rainforest hotspots cover less than 1% of our planet's land area but may contain 30-40% of our biodiversity! The Comuna's forest is next to the Reserve, so it acts as a buffer zone.

Tagua Uses
Before the introduction of inexpensive plastic buttons, about 20% of buttons manufactured in the United States were made from tagua nuts. In the 1920's tagua exports brought $5 million per year into Ecuador. Conservation International and other ecological groups have been instrumental in increasing the number of major companies who are once again using tagua, a sustainably harvested natural resource, for buttons.

The Tagua Nut, commonly known as "vegetable ivory", earned its name from its ivory-like color and texture. With the near extinction of animal ivory, tagua nuts have become a highly valued commodity by artisans and consumers alike. In Ecuador, tagua is skillfully carved by artisans into figurines, keychains, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and boxes.

Markets
While many social and political factors impact the continued success of ecologically oriented projects, a strong market for the products is very important. Consumers must make choices that encourage good land utilization and forest management through sustainable harvesting. The dollars must go back into the targeted community for further social development, or else the cycle is not complete