Chagras combine environmental, social and cultural traditions, with families growing dozens of food, fruit and medicinal plant species in a single plot. After five or six years, cultivated plots are returned to the rainforest, allowing forests to regenerate naturally.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Paulius Dragunas;


Chagras support biodiversity, store carbon and produce a wide range of crops without pesticides. Researchers say the system offers lessons for sustainable agriculture but faces growing threats from mining, deforestation and climate change. Indigenous leaders say protecting land rights is essential to preserving the centuries-old practice.

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