Suriname's first food forest

In June 2024 the first phase of a food forest with a social purpose started in Wanica: providing the community with fruit, especially the children’s homes in the immediate area.

Entrepreneur Andrew Baasaron, CEO of AMPS, was immediately enthusiastic when he heard Forest93 Ambassador Christio Wijnhard’s idea for a food forest. He made a plot available and came with his family to plant the first fruit trees. “It is particularly good for our family to know that together with others we can contribute to making our children in children’s homes healthier.”

The trees planted in Wanica are meant to grow into a fruit forest whose harvest goes to Children’s Home Riyos, and from there to other children’s homes in the area. If there is more fruit than they need, the home can sell it to earn income for its own upkeep.

“Only in many months will we literally be able to reap the benefits,” says Wijnhard. “Until then, we will embark on an educational process together with the Ministry of LVV, the CSR program of the company AMPS and the children of Riyos, in which we learn to grow, learn to care for and learn to love our natural environment. We work with children and have to feed them with quality. So we only use biological solutions.”

From food gardens to a food forest

The food forest grew out of the Tiny Food Gardens that Christio has led since the COVID period, which brought fresh vegetables back to children’s homes. Since 2022, 53 garden boxes have been placed at 6 institutions in 4 districts, and 11 young people have been trained to look after the plants themselves.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) supports the planting with plant material and training, and will help monitor and maintain the plot together with the children of Riyos. Christio’s goal is to establish more food forests in other districts.