Solidaridad is among the first six organizations that will receive investments from the JBS Fund for the Amazon until 2026. In addition to the financial support from JBS, the Elanco Foundation recently announced that it will also contribute USD450 thousand for the next three years.
The productive restoration model proved in Novo Repartimento will be expanded, in partnership with the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), to three new cities in the state of Pará: Pacajá, Anapu and Altamira.
This initiative was born five years ago, from the development of a comprehensive production model that would promote an increase in family income, while ensuring a reduction in carbon emissions and deforestation in the region.
Rodrigo Castro, Solidaridad Country Manager in Brazil
This production model combines cocoa agroforestry systems (SAF), livestock and preservation of forest areas, and unites the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The cultivation of cocoa is the mainstay of the system, since it can be combined with native species of trees and annual crops such as bananas, cassava and squash. In the case of breeding cattle, the model runs a partial intensification through the rotation of pastures, which guarantees higher productivity at lower cost.
By 2026, the goals are to promote:
- an increase in productivity in breeding livestock of 22%
- an increase in cocoa productivity of 40%
- the preservation of more than 20 thousand hectares of forest
- and a 30% increase in the income of producer families
For Mariana Pereira, Environment and Quality Manager for Solidaridad in Brazil, the project’s proposal is to manage small family farms with a long-term vision that promotes productive diversification and forest conservation. This is achieved through the combination of continual technical assistance, private and public partnerships, and investments.
Sustainable development on territorial level
The main gaps identified in the rural area of Pará are the lack of good quality technical assistance services (for knowledge transfer) and rural extension services (for co-building with the producer) -known as “ATER”-, and the socioeconomic vulnerability of producer families.
RestaurAmazônia intends to integrate:
- the development of a business model for ATER services
- the strengthening of the regional technical assistance network with professional training;
- the empowerment of local cooperatives and businesses and, finally,
- the strengthening of environmental governance with a focus on the environmental regularization of family farms.
Solidaridad aims to incubate at least three companies that will provide local ATER services to support family farming in the area after the project ends, and facilitate access to credit for the sustainable intensification of small-scale livestock farming.
“Our experience in the Amazon has shown us the potential for transformation that ATER can unfold in families. With greater technical knowledge they adopt low-carbon practices, increase their productivity, their income, and understand better why it is necessary to avoid deforestation ”, states Paulo Lima, Manager of the cocoa and livestock programme.
About JBS Fund for the Amazon
The JBS Fund for the Amazon is a not-for-profit civil association dedicated to promoting and financing initiatives and projects whose aim is the sustainable development of the Amazon Biome. The Fund is open to contributions and partnerships with associations from the private sector, the third sector and multi-stakeholder groups. JBS has committed to equaling the donations by third parties until the company’s contribution reaches R$ 500 million. The target is for the fund to reach a total of R$ 1 billion in resources by 2030. Any organization with a legal status can submit projects requiring finance. Submission can be done through the website: https://fundojbsamazonia.org/en/
About Elanco Foundation
The Elanco Foundation is driven by the power of animals, the promise of health, and the potential for change. Established in 2019, it’s the first private corporate foundation of its kind focused on improving the well-being of people and animals around the world. Through strategic philanthropy and partnerships its aim is to increase food security and support the human animal bond.
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