Project selected within the scope of the Amazon Fund’s Public Call for Projects – Consolidation and strengthening of sustainable and inclusive value chains
CONTEXTUALIZATION
Promoting sustainable productive activities is a fundamental instrument to tackle deforestation to change the occupation pattern in the Amazon, still heavily based on the conversion of the forest (for other land uses, such as extensive livestock farming and monocultures). Therefore, developing sustainable productive activities that allow productivity gains, incorporation of recent technologies and access to markets is a strategic focus to continue reducing deforestation rates in the Amazon.
The massive economic potential of natural resources and the Amazon biodiversity to generate labour and income, as well as the viability of integrated crop-livestock-forest use, are recognised and positively assessed by various public entities, civil society organisations and academic researchers. However, the main challenges of sustainable productive activities in the Amazon are: building an integrated strategy for production chains on a territorial basis; strengthening social and productive organisations; and expanding the access to financial and credit instruments.
In this sense, the Public Call aimed to support productive arrangements that explore synergies between a certain set of economic stakeholders and institutions, regional economic vocations, and precepts of financial sustainability, to consolidate and strengthen community enterprises that keep the forest standing and favour opportunities for financial sustainability and biodiversity conservation in the Legal Amazon.
THE PROJECT
The “Agroecology Network” project was designed with a focus on agroecological production linked to the production chains of fruits, vegetables, seedlings, seeds, animal feed, honey, poultry farming¹ and community-based tourism. Its objective is to strengthen agroecology and organic production in the state of Amazonas, promote the improvement of quality of life of family farmers and traditional communities, and the conservation of biodiversity, through advice and training, strengthening local organizations, structuring production, organic certification, and marketing/sales support.
The activities will be conducted by seven local associations formed by riverside family farmers, extractivists, Indigenous people and agrarian reform settlers. Each association will carry out a specific work plan to be implemented with financial resources aimed to construct production processing units; acquisition of machinery, equipment and inputs; coordination/logistics expenses; among other items.
The Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ) will act as a Grouping Entity, managing resources and carrying out acquisitions. Its main function will be to coordinate the integrated arrangement of subprojects of the Producers’ Associations, referred to as the “group”, listed below:
- Organic Producers’ Association of the state of Amazonas – APOAM
- Farmers’ Association of the Community of São Francisco de Assis – AACSFA
- Renascer Organic Producers’ Association – ASPOR
- Organic Producers’ Association of Iranduba – APOI
- Farmers’ Association of the Left Bank of the Lower Rio Negro – Rede Tucumã do Rio Negro
- Beekeepers’ Association of the state of Amazonas – ACAM
- Maniva Participatory Certification Association – OPAC Maniva
¹ The project does not cover the acquisition of birds, in compliance with the provisions of item 5.12, “k”, of the Public Call for Projects – Amazon Fund no. 01/2017 – “Consolidation and strengthening of sustainable and inclusive value chains”.
INTERVENTION LOGIC
The project is part of the “Sustainable Production” axis.
The direct effects of the project contribute to the following objectives: 1.1 – Economic activities for sustainable use of the forest and biodiversity are identified and developed; 1.2 – Agroforestry and biodiversity product chains with increased added value; and 1.3 – Expanded management and technical capabilities to implement economic activities for sustainable use of the forest and biodiversity.
