Alianza de Biorremediación y Sostenibilidad de Sucumbíos

The Alliance for Bioremediation and Sustainability in Sucumbíos (ABSS), is a collaboration of the US non-profit organization Amazon Mycorenewal Project (AMP) and the Ecuadorian higher education institute El Instituto Superior Tecnologico “Crecermas”(ISTEC) that aims to use sustainable mushroom cultivation as a means to remediate industrial contamination, create economic opportunities among affected communities, and empower communities to lead healthier lives in a culturally sensitive and appropriate way.

Petroleum contamination in the Sucumbíos province of Ecuador has caused water and soil contamination, damaged agriculture, and increased cancer and disease rates in local communities. Mycelium cultivation shows potential to degrade petroleum based contaminants, and provide a source for food and medicine through mushroom cultivation. The goals of ABSS can be summarized as threefold: Sustainable Community Development and Poverty Alleviation, Bioremediation Research, and Education. The organization draws upon a wide web of resources, including national and international NGOs, small businesses, coalitions, universities, scientists and volunteers to achieve these goals.

ABSS strives to develop a multifaceted approach to fungal cultivation that will benefit local and international farmers and researchers by contributing meaningful applied research on remediation, providing education on nutrition, and health, as well as creating a replicable sustainable model of cultivation for communities faced with health concerns associated with ecosystem degradation.