SEO /BIRDLIFE

With increasing numbers of rare bird species suffering from a degraded environment, SEO/BirdLife had to figure out how to protect the birds, and maintain the community’s support. Riet Vell Reserve (SEO/BirdLife of Spain) mobilized local farmers to switch to organic rice production and participate in a collective social enterprise to harvest and produce rice for retail. These environmentally-sensitive techniques not only increased farmers’ revenue, but also provided shelter for the threatened birds. By enhancing the region’s biodiversity, the social enterprise has now brought in an unexpected new source of revenue: ecotourism and birdwatchers. SEO/BirdLife is now nearly entirely sustainable through its business and the support provided by the community.