This process took place within the framework of the “Empower Indigenous Youth and Their Communities To Defend And Promote Their Food Heritage” project financed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). In 2018, the Esmeraldas blue crab was named a Slow Food Presidium thanks to the joint work carried out by two organisations in the province of Esmeraldas: Luna Creciente (Movimiento Nacional de Mujeres de Sectores Populares) in the north and UOCE (Unión de Organizaciones Campesinas de Esmeraldas) in the south. Unfortunately, this ecosystem has been threatened by intensive shrimp farming and deforestation, with an estimated 80% of the mangroves already destroyed. This type of crab lives in the mangrove, home to a rich animal and plant biodiversity and an important source of livelihood for local communities. The crabs are essential to the local gastronomy – their white, tender flesh is used in dishes like encocado (crab cooked with coconut milk), soups, empanadas, ceviche and seafood salads – and they are also the inspiration for numerous local songs, poems, ten-line stanzas, dances and stories from local Esmeraldas culture. It feeds on mangrove leaves and other surrounding vegetation and is found in the north and south of Esmeraldas Province in Ecuador. The blue or mouthless crab ( Cardisoma crassum) is a terrestrial crab characterised by its sky-blue carapace, orange belly, eight red legs and two claws.
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