Kábata Könana: Indigenous Women Defenders of Mountains and Food Sovereignty
Asociación de Mujeres Indígenas del Territorio Cabécar Kábata Könana brings together Indigenous women in Costa Rica's Talamanca region to promote traditional practices and knowledge for food security and medicinal purposes, improve women's leadership and Indigenous rights, and protect surrounding forests. The association trains women in ancestral and regenerative agriculture, and promotes native seed varieties and traditional medicinal plants, improving community resilience against climate change. Recognized as a 2021 Equator Prize winner, the organization demonstrates innovative local solutions for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change while achieving development goals.Today, Kábata Könana supports a network of more than 200 Indigenous families, manages a demonstration farm with traditional planting systems, a native plant nursery and cultural learning spaces, and promotes value-added products and local commercialization initiatives that strengthen food sovereignty.
Project story
Kábata Könana: Reclaiming Food Sovereignty in Talamanca
For generations, Cabécar women in Costa Rica's Indigenous territories have been guardians of ancestral seeds, forests, and food traditions. Today, climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures threaten to unravel this legacy.
Kábata Könana—created by Indigenous women themselves—is fighting back. By reviving ancestral planting systems like Witö, Teitö, and Chömoglo, the organization is preserving native seeds and traditional knowledge while building community resilience through regenerative agroecology.
The results speak volumes: 200 Indigenous families now practice agroecological farming, growing diverse crops and conserving native seeds. The organization's demonstration farm showcases traditional planting systems, operates a nursery with over 2,000 plants, and offers cultural learning spaces and community agrotourism.
With your support, we'll expand this movement. We'll welcome more women into the program, strengthen seed conservation efforts, provide hands-on training, improve access to tools and materials, and develop value-added products that generate income without compromising food sovereignty.
By backing Kábata Könana, you're protecting biodiversity, preserving ancestral knowledge, and empowering Indigenous communities to build a resilient future rooted in their own traditions.
Project updates
Team
Kábata Könana: Indigenous Women Defenders of Mountains and Food Sovereignty
Asociación de Mujeres Indígenas del Territorio Cabécar Kábata Könana brings together Indigenous women in Costa Rica's Talamanca region to promote traditional practices and knowledge for food security and medicinal purposes, improve women's leadership and Indigenous rights, and protect surrounding forests. The association trains women in ancestral and regenerative agriculture, and promotes native seed varieties and traditional medicinal plants, improving community resilience against climate change. Recognized as a 2021 Equator Prize winner, the organization demonstrates innovative local solutions for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change while achieving development goals.Today, Kábata Könana supports a network of more than 200 Indigenous families, manages a demonstration farm with traditional planting systems, a native plant nursery and cultural learning spaces, and promotes value-added products and local commercialization initiatives that strengthen food sovereignty.
Project story
Kábata Könana: Reclaiming Food Sovereignty in Talamanca
For generations, Cabécar women in Costa Rica's Indigenous territories have been guardians of ancestral seeds, forests, and food traditions. Today, climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures threaten to unravel this legacy.
Kábata Könana—created by Indigenous women themselves—is fighting back. By reviving ancestral planting systems like Witö, Teitö, and Chömoglo, the organization is preserving native seeds and traditional knowledge while building community resilience through regenerative agroecology.
The results speak volumes: 200 Indigenous families now practice agroecological farming, growing diverse crops and conserving native seeds. The organization's demonstration farm showcases traditional planting systems, operates a nursery with over 2,000 plants, and offers cultural learning spaces and community agrotourism.
With your support, we'll expand this movement. We'll welcome more women into the program, strengthen seed conservation efforts, provide hands-on training, improve access to tools and materials, and develop value-added products that generate income without compromising food sovereignty.
By backing Kábata Könana, you're protecting biodiversity, preserving ancestral knowledge, and empowering Indigenous communities to build a resilient future rooted in their own traditions.
Project updates
Team
Location
Costa Rica
Round 3
Jul 1-21, 2026
Supporting community-led nature projects around the world.
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