Chocó Andino

The Chocó Andino Association of Municipalities (MCA) is a coordinating and participatory governance body made up of six rural parishes to the northwest of the capital, Quito. In 2018 it was declared the Chocó Andino Biosphere Reserve (RBCA), home to a unique wealth of species, ecosystems, and cultural and productive landscapes. The RBCA has 116,000 inhabitants, of which 65 percent are under 34.

Playing a crucial role in food supply and preservation, the Chocó Andino area exemplifies urban-rural relations in the Quito Metro City Region Food System. But the area lacks adequate support for food production, education, health, and other services. So many young people migrate to Quito. Local policy for integrating them in the local labor market exists, but needs strengthening.

Urban Futures works with the Quito Metropolitan District and the RBCA Management Committee, promoting partnerships with local producers, civil society, youth movements and academics. Our overarching objective is to counteract environmental degradation in the region and expedite the shift towards diversified systems of sustainable food production. We are also trying to establish a new environmentally conscious mindset that values products according to a mutually responsible interaction between consumers and producers and that actively nurtures intergenerational bonds. Our primary ally is the Imaymana Foundation, with whom we work in tandem with entities such as the Chocó Andino Youth Network.

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