Project Detail

Sonhém: Monitoring and Environmental Training in the Cerrado of Maranhão (Phase II)
Sonhem: monitoramento e formação ambiental nos Cerrados Maranhenses

This project will take place in the Cerrado fields in the state of Maranhãoin the Lower Paranaíba River micro-region, Chapada do Sul, and the transition areas between Cerrado and Amazon in Imperatriz. Large-scale soy farming has expanded into and within these areas. Most of the population in these municipalities is concentrated in rural areas, and depend heavily on traditional small farmer production systems. These systems are diversified and complex, producing corn, manioc, rice, corn, beans and other vegetables. The soil in these areas is acidic, formed by arenitic rocks. In the 1970s, farmers from the South came to the area, encouraged by the government to ?settle? the area and modernize agriculture. This meant heavy machinery and excessive use of agrotoxins, fertilizers and soil correctives. Native vegetation is completely devastated in this monoculture. The environmental, social and economic impacts of soy expansion in the Cerrado are the main concerns to be addressed in this project. Monitoring in an affected village will be promoted in a n effort to minimize the negative effects brought by this system, subsidizing alternatives. In addition to dissemination of knowledge and information to organizations and groups, national and international efforts will be dynamized in the benefit of the environment and populations. The system for regulation of direct and indirect environmental impacts in the Maranhão state Cerrado fields will be strengthened by this project, as well as regulation of the infra-structure which stimulates and encourages destructive economic activities.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Centro dos Direitos das Populações da Região de Carajás

Country:

Brazil

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 26,185.50

Co-Financing Cash:

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 5,555.20

Project Number:

BRA/02/31

Start Date:

4/2004

End Date:

3/2005

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

Environmental awareness will be created in the organizations and leaderships in the region about the devastation and degradation of the Cerrado, use of Genetically-modified Organisms (GMOs), and environmental legislation. This will hopefully at the very least enforce the existing laws and regulations, which are often disregarded. Training of the Sonhém families on recovery of degraded areas, reducing erosion, and monitoring of water sources will ensure an improvement in the regional environment. The sum of these actions seeks to guarantee continuation of the local traditional livelihoods threatened by the agricultural expansion.

Notable Community Participation

The Sonhém community will benefit from the project and execute its proposed activities. The neighboring small farmer associations and families will also benefit from implementation of the initiative.

Project Results

The activities undertaken during the first stage of this project were: project planning and presentation in the community (20 families); community awareness-building on environmental issues; involvement of the children in the environmental discussion; implementation of a plant nursery (200 seedlings per month); collection of seeds; production of seedlings in a community bee; new partnerships secured (monthly radio program started); participation in national and international events; contacts with public organs to denounce illicit activities; production of a regional newspaper; workshop for improved animal raising; backyard enrichment; workshop on agroforestry system management. The community agrees that improvement in their organization is a priority, including political and economic aspects, which means producer associations must be created. Community bees were pointed out as positive and efficient. Improvement in the denouncing of illicit activities was also pointed out as a need for the near future. There was no response form the organizations sought for the denouncements. Suggestions were made to develop all projects in the region toward the same goal of sustainable environmental, political and economic development of the area. The local public attorney suggested a union of regional experiences to act as a barrier against the advancing soy frontier. Suggestions by a local State University will be incorporated, mainly that the community focus the project?s efforts on environmental education and animal raising. Problems faced include: distance between houses makes participation of all families difficult; the lack of electrical energy makes it difficult to create alternative means of capturing the public?s attention, particularly the children; it is difficult to enrich the backyards when animals are raised without fences. To solve these problems, many proposed activities have been started or are planned. The project?s contribution to the environment is clear, reducing the dependence of the local families on external raw materials, and creating conscience as to the situation.

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