Cocinando & Conservando: Building Capacity to Improve Cultural and Ecological Conservation

Abstract

Working with Cocinando & Conservando (Cooking & Conservation), a small non-profit in Southeastern Peru, this project explored the organizational systems and processes used to preserve the cultural heritage of local indigenous groups while also conserving the Amazon rainforest. Using a mixed-methods approach of observation, document analysis, and interviews, the project found that while there are ways Cocinando can improve their processes, the also need to create a space for indigenous communities to heal from cultural trauma caused by institutional systems. If Cocinando can do this, they will help the communities they work in re-establish their connection to the land and their own cultural identity.