Initiative to promote recovery of 700 hectares, with socioeconomic benefits for communities in the lower, middle and upper Xingu regions
Launch of call for proposals in September 2023
The Living Forest project has announced four initiatives selected by the Xingu call for proposals, focused on ecological restoration and strengthening production chains in the Xingu River Basin. Launched by the Brazilian development bank, BNDES, the public contest received funding from Fundo Vale, Energisa, Norte Energia and BNDES itself. In all, R$20,304,974.02 has been earmarked for the restoration of 700 hectares in conservation areas, indigenous lands, settlements for displaced communities and rural properties along the lower, middle and upper stretches of the Xingu River. The Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (FUNBIO) is the partner responsible for running the call for proposals and monitoring the selected projects.
“Living Forest exemplifies the social and environmental impact we are seeking, because it integrates traditional communities into the process of strengthening the bioeconomy while restoring areas through sustainable practices. The initiative promotes fair social inclusion, benefits biodiversity and values the wisdom of the peoples of the forest,” sums up Márcia Soares, Fundo Vale’s partnerships and Amazon manager.
Check out the scope of the selected projects:
On the Living Forest Trail
Led by the Xingu Seed Network Association, the goal is to restore 200 hectares in the middle and upper Xingu regions. The project’s partners are the Social and Environmental Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Mato Grosso State University, Operation Native Amazon, the Xingu Indigenous Land Association and the municipal government of Nova Xavantina.
The initiative involves indigenous people, family farmers and local residents as seed collectors and restoration agents. The areas will be restored through agroforestry systems, direct sowing with a mixture of native seeds, assisted natural regeneration and silvopastoral systems with native species. The project also proposes activities to strengthen the restoration chain by encouraging the expansion and training of seed collecting groups and seed pre-storage and storage facilities.
Sustainable Xingu
Under the leadership of the Trans-Amazon and Xingu Central Organic Production Cooperative and with the support of cosmetics company Natura, the Trans-Amazon Organic Products Cooperative, the Productive Organization and Traditional Communities Department of the Pará State Family Farming Secretariat and junior company Altaflora, this initiative will restore 150 hectares in the middle and upper Xingu regions, where the institution already operates.
The restoration work will be done in the institution’s cooperative units, including the establishment of five nurseries and training for cooperative members, while encouraging the participation of women and young people. In addition, the project aims to set up a cocoa butter processing plant to strengthen the cooperative’s value chain and commercial capacities, with a positive impact on local community development.
Assurini Reset
Coordinated by the Guamá Science, Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development Foundation, the Assurini Reset project seeks to restore 150 hectares in the municipality of Altamira. The areas selected for restoration are located in a region with a high number of environmental liabilities and were classified as priority areas in environmental planning work carried out by the state government. The project will use nucleation and assisted natural regeneration techniques and will involve the public sector, seed associations and networks, seedling nurseries and researchers from local universities.
Forever Living, Forever Green
Proposed by the International Education Institute of Brazil, this project has a partnership with the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Pará State Institute for Forestry Development and Biodiversity, and the Porto de Moz Sustainable Development Committee. In all, 200 hectares will be restored in the “Forever Green” Extractive Reserve in the lower Xingu region. As well as applying nucleation techniques and agroforestry systems, the project will run a training program focusing on gender and productive ecological restoration, to train women and create a seed collection and marketing network.