COMMUNITY PROJECTS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELPMENT, CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY OF AREAS IN THE AMAZON
We present here the scope of SOS Amazônia projects to support the sustainable development of agro extractivist and indigenous communities and conservation of the Brazilian Amazon.
ABOUT SOS AMAZÔNIA
SOS AMAZÔNIA is an organization that will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2023. One of its founders is the rubber tapper leader Chico Mendes. To conserve biodiversity and increase environmental awareness in the Amazon, we have established partnerships with agro-extractive communities and families, with many public institutions and the social movement in the region.
In the last 10 years, the expansion of this work has reached many protected areas (conservation units and some Indigenous Lands) in Acre, as well as localities and communities in the states of Amazonas and Rondônia.
To promote conservation in such an extensive area and serve the least assisted and more distant populations, SOS Amazônia focuses on two lines of projects. The first line is to increase the business of agro- extractive communities with forest products, to generate income and discourage deforestation. The second line is to encourage and support the restoration of degraded areas with the implementation of agroforestry systems, and with that, enable more sales in local and institutional markets, contributing in a way to the food security of families, and income generation.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Both in strengthening the forest economy and in restoring degraded areas, agroforestry communities face difficulties, but they can be overcome. Therefore, we understand that these agro- extractive producers need to know more about the business chains that are involved, they need to be better structured, advised and equipped, and prepared to meet the various protocols that the market requires, whether to sell the production and receive the fair price or to receive payments for the environmental services they perform, keeping the forest standing.
In order to face this reality, SOS Amazônia strives to strengthen promising initiatives that are already underway and need more support to consolidate, so that the people involved have full control of the business, keeping them profitable, and expanding their margins of financial gain, counting on a planned production system, and with an effective accounting, financial and administrative management.
PROJECT FOCUS
As it is a long-term and continuous process which, due to the absence of the state, requires the participation of organizations such as SOS Amazônia to support the strengthening of communities, we prioritize in our portfolio the investment in initiatives already installed, in operation, as well as others that are being implemented. To this end, we consider it important to support the following initiatives, considering an investment period of 5 years, including the operational and administrative costs of SOS Amazônia.
COMMUNITY INDUSTRIES
Project: 3 community industries of buriti oil, murmuru butter, andiroba and açaí, installed in the region of the Juruá valley in Acre, in three different municipalities, all three in operation, each with different difficulties.
Investment Estimate: BRL 4,000,000.00 (735.000,00 Euros)
Investment target: Equipment, improvement of infrastructure, transport for the outflow of production, training, technical assistance, fairs and guidance for market access.
SOAP FACTORY
Project: A murmuru butter-based soap factory accredited by ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency), installed in 2018 in a rural settlement and finalizing the adjustment of formulas to start operating in 2022.
Investment Estimate: BRL 650,000.00 (120.000,00 Euros)
Investment Target: Purchase of inputs, renovation of equipment, maintenance of the building, training, participation in fairs, technical assistance specialized in management and production.
PRODUCTION OF WILD COCOA ALMONDS
Project: Three initiatives for the production of wild cocoa beans, one located in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, another in the Macauã National Forest and another on the banks of the Juruá River, in the municipality of Guajará in the state of Amazonas. The project needs investments to double the current production capacity.
Investment Estimate: BRL 1,500,000.00 (275.000,00 Euros)
Investment Target: Construction of new processing structures, training, technical assistance, participation in fairs, purchase of equipment and vessels.
ATELIER FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WOODEN OBJECTS
Project: A atelier/furniture industry for the production of wooden objects from the use of residues resulting from community forest management carried out in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve, in the municipality of Xapuri. This project is under construction, scheduled to finish in October 2022 and start production in November/December, however, it needs investments to meet other demands from designers, at the request of companies in the southeast of the country.
Investment Estimate: BRL 1,000,000.00 (183,500.00 Euros)
Investment Target: Expansion of the furniture store structure, training of residents who work in the furniture industry, purchase of new machines, tools, inputs, participation in fairs and specialized technical advice.
SEEDLING PRODUCTION AND FOREST RESTORATION
Project: Due to the projects already developed with family farming producers, and considering that in Acre there are 400,000 hectares of forests that need to be restored, including permanent preservation areas – river banks and springs, according to surveys from the Rural Environmental Registry of Acre, we propose expand our operations and carry out, over the next 5 years, the restoration of 500 hectares of forests in areas of family farming producers, with the production and planting of 500,000 seedlings.
Investment Estimate: BRL 10,000,000.00 (1,835,000.00 Euros)
Investment Target: Construction and maintenance of seedling nurseries, purchase of inputs for planting, formation of teams for technical assistance, systematic follow-up and monitoring of reforested areas, purchase of vehicles for technical assistance and transport of seedlings.
CONCLUSION
It is important to emphasize that all the activities mentioned in this document advocate an action focused on respecting the traditional knowledge of these communities, on gender relations, associated with technical and scientific knowledge on the proposed themes.
Best regards
Miguel Scarcello
General Secretary – SOS Amazônia