An innovative initiative by local farmers is successfully reversing the damage caused by deforestation in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.
In Mamuí, a community located in the southern state of Pará, farmers are reforesting previously deforested lands.
The project, driven by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), uses agroforestry systems that combine native trees with commercial crops such as açaí or cocoa.
This initiative demonstrates that it is possible to restore degraded areas while generating higher incomes than traditional livestock farming.
Deforestation in the Amazon: the context
In the early 2000s, southern Pará recorded record levels of deforestation. In 2004, the Amazon lost 27,700 square kilometers of forest, an area equivalent to Haiti.
The families that settled in Mamuí followed the usual pattern: clearing, burning, and planting grass for cattle. Of the 25 square kilometers of the settlement, less than one retained native vegetation.
“We had to clear and build a fence so the government would understand that we really wanted to live here,” explains Sadias Pinheiro, a 72-year-old farmer.
Embrapa’s proposal: how they restore the Amazon
Facing this issue, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) implemented a program that introduces sustainable agriculture in degraded areas.
The institution provides improved seeds, free fertilizers, and technical assistance.
The model proposes allocating part of the livestock land to planting large trees along with Amazonian fruit species that generate income.
“In our talks, we bring up the topic of ecological awareness, something that was taboo,” stated Michelliny Bentes, project coordinator, in a conversation with the EFE agency.
Economic and environmental results of the project
Mauricio Batista, a 53-year-old farmer, transformed six hectares of arid land into agroforestry crops. He now earns higher profits than with livestock farming.
Cocoa is sold for 30 reais per kilo (5.6 dollars) and açaí for 16 reais, while meat only reaches 8 reais per kilo.
Thus, although Batista maintains his livestock, it is no longer his main source of income.
Thanks to projects like this, the springs that had disappeared began to show signs of life again. “The land was all cracked in the summer with the cattle, and look now,” Pinheiro points out about his lands.
It is worth noting that Brazilian environmental legislation requires preservation of vegetation along riverbanks and springs.
This initiative gains new relevance considering that the state of Pará will soon host the UN COP30 climate summit.
In this context, the agroforestry systems in Mamuí represent a local model that could be replicated in other deforested areas of the Brazilian Amazon.
