CONTEXT

In the last two decades, command and control actions were very important for the reduction in the deforestation rates in the Amazon. However, although fundamental, the potential of these are actions to reduce deforestation has been reaching its limit, mainly due to the reduction in the size of deforestation polygons, which hamper the detection by monitoring systems and increase supervision costs.

In this scenario, the promotion to projects that support the sustainable use of natural resources is an alternative to address the new dynamics of deforestation and transform the pattern of occupation of the Amazon, which is still heavily based on forest conversion to other land-use systems, such as extensive cattle breeding. Thus, to develop sustainable productive activities that allow environmental conservation is a relevant strategy to pursue the reduction in the deforestation rates in the Amazon and provide income-generating alternatives to people who live in the forest.

THE PROJECT

The support for the Small Eco-social Projects Program (PPP-ECOS) aims to provide resources and qualification to people who inhabit the region in order to enhance income generation associated with the preservation of the forest. This proposal aims to support PPP-ECOS in the Amazon – Phase 2, continuing the execution of the Program that already had a first project supported with resources from the Amazon Fund.

The project is organized into three axes: Public Calls for Small Projects, Strengthening of Community Institutions, and Information Systematization and Dissemination. The release of public calls for small projects is the central axis of the proposal. The other components will strengthen the projects selected with the qualification of the clients, the record of experiences for disclosure and evaluation of results, and the production of technical content in support of community projects, such as knowledge of health conditions.

The small projects must fit into one or more fields of the following areas:

1. Economic activities developed from the sustainable use of vegetation: actions for adding value and marketing of agroforestry products. Community processing and marketing strategies, and activities associated with projects. Examples: business plans, communication and marketing plans, product development, records, certification, licensing, among other strategies;
2. Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity: actions for the sustainable use of socio-biodiversity, associated with the maintenance of natural ecosystems. Examples: actions for territorial and environmental management, in situ conservation of threatened species, agroecological productive systems, prevention and rational use of fire, among others;
3. Recovery of deforested areas: actions such as the implementation and consolidation of Agroforestry Systems (SAFs) and other forms of recovery of deforested areas, recovery of permanent preservation areas (APP) and legal reserves (RL), soil erosion control, among others.

INTERVENTION LOGIC

This project falls under the “Sustainable Production” (1) component of the logical framework of the Amazon Fund.

Click on the following image to view its objectives tree, that is, how the project's outputs and linked to the expected outcomes and impact.

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED 

Ten workshops were held to prepare projects and disseminate the bid notice, which involved 395 participants from 265 organizations, distributed in 92 municipalities in the states of Maranhão, Mato Grosso and Tocantins. Subsequently, the selection process was carried out, which culminated in the selection of 32 projects.

Considering the large number and quality of the projects received, ISPN requested the Amazon Fund to increase the value of the notice, thus reducing the number of public calls planned. As a result, the amount of resources available for the bid notice totaled R$6,450,000.00. 

See here the selections for Small and Consolidation Projects

For the selection process of strategic projects, a participatory organizational diagnostic tool was applied to the five organizations with consultation letters pre-selected by the PPP-ECOS CGN. 

See here the shortlist for Strategic Projects

In addition to activities directly related to the projects, ISPN participates in the construction and monitoring of public policies under discussion in the National Congress and with the federal government, which directly affect community organizations, such as: the maintenance and operation of the National Council of Traditional Peoples and Communities (CNPCT); the impacts of Provisional Measure No. 910/2019 by the federal government and the service of family farmers and people from forests and waters, extractivists, fishermen and traditional populations in the context of the health emergency installed in the country.

Consultancies were hired to carry out research on sanitary standards and good food manufacturing practices for family, artisanal and community establishments. Information on health standards is being made available on the website https://agroindustria.org.br. The platform will also provide sanitary regularization courses for projects in the chestnut, fish, açaí, cassava, fruit, honey chains, etc. 

We also advised the projects on how to obtain the environmental license or its waiver, and how to register with SISNAMA (federal and state).

Audiovisual content was produced (videos, cards, audios, etc) that relates the PPP-ECOS to the supported productive chains, besides disseminating relevant information about public policies that directly affect these chains. One of the strategies adopted, as part of the construction of the PPP-ECOS identity, was the production of a series of videos aimed at helping community organizations in the development of eco-social projects. Click here to check out the first episode of the series. An initial product developed in association with public policies are the cards on the new Law 13,680 (2018) that institutes the "Art Seal" to stimulate the production and regularization of artisanal food products of animal origin. This law is essential to distinguish artisanal products from family producers. 

Aiming to strengthen social participation in instances related to public policies, ISPN sought to disseminate a policy to stimulate public procurement, especially through the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) under the National Fund for Development of Education (FNDE), in the territories in which the project operates.