Project Detail

Family Agriculture of the North Araguaia, Mato Grosso Constructing Diversification Proposals and Sustainable Forms of Settlement in the Countryside with Dignity ?Project Diversification and Dignity? Agricultura Familiar do Norte Araguaia Mato-Grossense Construindo Propostas de Diversificação e Formas Sustentáveis de Permanência no Campo com Dignidade "Projeto Diversificação e Dignidade"

Practical proposals for social-economic diversification of smallholder production through the sustainable use of land are the main objective of this project. It is hoped that it will serve as a basis for multiplication of the productive and organizational experience for other groups and organizations not yet aware of the possibilities brough about by specialization. The recovery of degraded areas is sought through the proposal of an agroecology plan. Small and medium-sized animals will be raised and vegetables will be grown, in an attempt to show the smallholders the environmental and social-economical benefits of diversfication of production. The creation of a seed bank will also take place.

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Comissão Pastoral da Terra Araguaia - Tocantins

Country:

Brazil

Area Of Work:

Biodiversity

Operational Phase:

Phase 2

Grant Amount:

US$ 20,096.06

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 51,743.95

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 70,194.54

Project Number:

BRA/03/13

Start Date:

2/2004

End Date:

2/2006

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Inovative Financial Mechanisms

A rotating fund mechanism is going to be used, in which smallholder families commit themselves to returning each dollar invested in them to the project, for replication in other areas.

Notable Community Participation

Local meetings will help determine the needs of the smallholder families, who are willing to embark on this diversification of their production. Many of the families currently use annual cycles for planting, and depend largely on cattle raising as a asource of income, which renders these families lacking in bargaining power with the middlemen who dictate the prices. Some families, who have already started the diversification, need infra-structure and technical assistance to continue. This is the case for 45 families.

Capacity - Building Component

Specific technical courses will be offered, covering a wide range of topics, including associativism, sustainable development, cooperativism, etc. The materials for these courses will be created by those involved in the project's execution.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

This project hopes to show the smallholders that it is indeed possible and feassible to achieve quality of life in their small stretch of land by diversifying the production, reducing consumption of industrialized products, and improving health and food security for the families. Impacts on the environment are therefore minimized and awareness about the importance of the Cerrado's potential assists in insuring the preservation of the biome.

Project Results

The activities carried out in the first stage of the project were: maintenance of a plant nursery for 15 families and construction of a new one for 10 other families; production of seedlings for the agroforestry systems of the 25 families; the students in agroecology, general formation and organization courses learned about situation analisys, development models and smallholder agriculture; a beekeeping course was held for those interested in this activity (11 families); a seminar on environment was held with the presence of authorities and over 150 farmers from the region. Despite the rapid destruction of the Cerrado biome for soy, rice and sunflower farming, collection and planting of native species helped to conserve the biodiversity. The deforestation occurs at a much faster pace than the project could possibly save, but the hopes of spreading awareness in time to at least slow down the process are high. The seminar was a big step in this direction. The activities the familoies carried out, as well as the partnerships with other projects were also steps toward preservation of the Cerrado's biodiversity. Ten families joined the project's activities, and the lessons learned in the value of education were very valid. A visit to other SGP beneficiaries created high levels of enthusiasm. Smallholders are increasingly becoming aware of the necessity to be the protagonists in their own history, and no longer be dependent on others.

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