CONTEXTUALIZATION

The state of Rondônia occupies an area of 237,765 km² in the Brazilian Amazon, and is bounded by the states of Mato Grosso (to the east), Amazonas (to the north), Acre (to the west) and the Republic of Bolivia (to the west and south). From 2010 to 2019, Rondônia was responsible for about 15% of the deforested area in the Brazilian Amazon, being the third state (out of a total of nine states that comprise the Brazilian Amazon) that most deforested in that period¹. Rondônia has 1.7 million inhabitants.

The strategy of the Center for the Study of Culture and the Environment of the Amazon (Rioterra) – a nonprofit organization created in 1999 that operates in Rondônia through projects focused on the environment, education and culture – is to form, through agroforestry systems (SAF), a protection barrier around the forest remnants, prioritizing areas close to conservation units and those with greater environmental fragility.

¹http://www.obt.inpe.br/OBT/assuntos/programas/amazonia/prodes

THE PROJECT

The project prioritized the support for family farmers and agrarian reform settlers in three municipalities in the state of Rondônia in the development of SAFs for the recovery of deforested areas and generation of income by planting crops that are adapted to the type of soil and the region’s climate. 

The scope of the project covered the following actions: supporting the environmental regularization of small rural properties by helping them register in the rural environmental registry (CAR); recovering deforested areas with the implementation of SAFs; payment for environmental services; diverse training in topics such as SAFs, agroecology and associations; expanding the seedling production capacity of the Municipal Nursery of Itapuã do Oeste, and expanding and updating the laboratory for soil analysis at the Federal University of Rondônia.

INTERVENTION LOGIC

The project is part of the “sustainable production” (1) and “science, innovation and economic instruments” (4) components of the Amazon Fund’s Logical Framework. 

The direct effects expected by the project in the Xingu River basin are: “recovery of deforested and degraded areas, to be used for production through SAFs (1)”; “Expansion of administrative and technical capabilities for the implementation of agroforestry systems, cooperatives and association management (1)”; and “production and dissemination of knowledge and technologies for sustainable use in Rondônia (4).” 

The recovery of deforested areas through SAFs contributes to the expansion of the area with native vegetation cover in the Amazon and represents an alternative income for farmers, by integrating the simultaneous cultivation of agricultural crops and forest species. The support for actions that combine the use of technologies for sustainable production in the region also contributes to the general objective of the Amazon Fund, namely, the reduction in deforestation with sustainable development in the Brazilian Amazon.

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

The registration of rural properties in CAR and recovery of deforested areas were promoted in 42 awareness-raising events. A total of 742 hectares of deforested areas were recovered through SAFs, in 505 family farms located in the municipalities of Itapuã do Oeste, Cujubim and Machadinho d’Oeste, in the state of Rondônia. 

In order to participate in the activities for the recovery of deforested areas, the properties of the benefited families must register or be registered in CAR, and have a maximum of 4 fiscal modules (Brazilian parameter for the classification of rural property in terms of size.) The location of the areas to be recovered was analyzed, giving priority to anthropized ones with greater natural vulnerability to erosion, areas that would allow connectivity with other forest fragments, water resoucers protection areas and those around conservation units. 

The project promoted the strengthening of 14 community organizations through training. Organizations that participated in three or more of the project’s activities were considered strengthened. 

A total of 471 families benefited from the payment for environmental services, which amounted to R$ 415,000, due to the recovery of 257 hectares of degraded or deforested areas through SAFs (properties that had recovered degraded areas less than one year ago were not considered eligible).  

The payment for environmental services was used in the project to stimulate families to adhere to the recovery of degraded or deforested areas in their properties, being an economic alternative to income derived from activities that generate deforestation. 

Investments in the expansion and modernization of the Municipal Nursery of Itapuã do Oeste were made to ensure the supply of seedlings needed to carry out the activities for recovering deforested areas and to increase the seedling production capacity to meet future demands. 

This investment included the construction of a structure for the production of clonal coffee, 1,035,000 seedlings of which were used for the activities of implementation of the SAFs. 

The family farmers were trained in topics such as Agroecology; Agroecological Fertilization and Pest Control Techniques; Zoning of rural properties; Production of Clonal Coffee; Production of Clonal Cocoa; Recovery and Management of Degraded Areas; Agroforestry Systems and Administrative and Financial Management of Associations. Technical assistance for production with SAFs was also provided to 1,201 small family farmers. 

An area of 90 m² of the laboratory for soil analysis at the Federal University of Rondônia (UNIR) was expanded and modernized. The study of the soils in the area covered by the project enhanced the results of the SAFs’ implementation, and the modernization of the laboratory benefited the entire building dedicated to geoscience at this university. 

The resources of the project were used to readjust the facilities and purchase various equipment, such as precision scales, binocular stereoscopes, forced-air ovens and benchtop stirrers for granulometric tests, as well as computers, printers and furniture. This improvement in UNIR’s technological capacity is a legacy of the project for the region. 

A total of 69 publications were prepared within the scope of the project, including information leaflets about the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA); a technical report on the physical environment of the project area (indicating environments with greater fragility and less agricultural aptitude and areas with special uses); soil and landscape studies, and leaflets about CAR. The results of the project were also presented at several integration events (seminars and forums), in order to disseminate the produced knowledge.

RESULT AND IMPACT INDICATORS

The activities of the project contributed to the results related to the components “sustainable production” (1) and “science, innovation and economic instruments” (4) of the Amazon Fund’s Logical Framework. 

Direct effect 1.3: Expansion of administrative and technical capabilities for the implementation of SAFs, cooperatives and management of associations 

The main indicators used to monitor this objective were: 

• Number of individuals trained in the implementation of SAFs, at the technical or administrative level (output indicator)
  Goal: 500 | Result achieved: 540 

• Number of individuals trained in the implementation of SAFs, at the technical or administrative level, who effectively used the knowledge acquired (outcome indicator)
  Goal: 300 | Result achieved: 353

• Number of families (rural properties) who benefited from technical assistance (output indicator)
  Goal: 500 | Result achieved: 1,201 

• Number of individuals trained in the management of associations and implementation of cooperatives as a means of accessing the market, at the technical or administrative level (output indicator)
  Goal: 100 | Result achieved: 114 

Direct effect 1.4: Recovery of deforested and degraded areas so they can be used for production through SAFs 

The main indicators used to monitor this objective were: 

• Number of awareness-raising or integration events focused on environmental regularization and recovery of deforested or degraded areas (output indicator)
  Goal: 15 | Result achieved: 42 

• Number of community organizations strengthened (associations and cooperatives) (outcome indicator)
  Goal: 10 | Result achieved: 14 

• Area recovered and used for economic purposes (outcome indicator)
  Goal: 500 hectares | Result achieved: 742 hectares 

• Number of properties with sustainable production projects – implementation of SAFs (output indicator)
  Goal: 500 hectares | Result achieved: 505 hectares 

• Revenue from sustainable economic activities (outcome indicator)
  Goal: undefined | Result achieved: R$ 724,000 

• Number of seedlings produced by the nursery in Itapuã do Oeste with support from the project (output indicator)
  Goal: 800,000 | Result achieved: 1,035,000 

• Total amount paid for environmental services (output indicator)
  Goal: R$ 292,000 | Result achieved: R$ 415,000 

• Number of families who received payment for environmental services (output indicator)
  Goal: undefined | Result achieved: 471 families 

• Area that benefited from the payment for environmental services (outcome indicator)
  Goal: undefined | Result achieved: 257 hectares 

Direct effect 4.1: Dissemination of knowledge and technologies for sustainable use in Rondônia 

The main indicators used to monitor this objective were: 

• Number of researchers and technicians involved in CT&I activities residing in the Amazon during the execution of the project (outcome indicator)
  Goal: 10 | Result achieved: 13 

• Number of scientific publications produced (outcome indicator)
  Goal: undefined | Result achieved: 1 

Finally, the behavior of the deforestation rate in the municipalities of the state of Rondônia that benefited from the project’s actions was monitored, despite the impact of these actions being limited, considering their scale in view of the various vectors that contribute to deforestation in this region. 

• Annual deforestation in the municipalities of Machadinho d’Oeste, Cujubim and Itapuã do Oeste in the state of Rondônia (outcome indicator)
  Goal: undefined | Result achieved: 164 km² (2018) 

The annual deforestation due to clearcutting observed in 2018 in the municipalities of the state of Rondônia that benefited from the project’s actions was 164 km². Considering that in 2013, this rate had been 153 km² (baseline), there was an increase of approximately 7% in the annual deforestation rate from 2013 to 2018.

 Source: Prepared by the authors based on data from Inpe/Prodes.

Institutional and administrative aspects

The project established partnerships with several institutions, with the support of the municipal government of Itapuã do Oeste (production of seedlings in the municipal nursery), the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform – Incra (authorization to implement SAFs in the settlements), and the Federal University of Rondônia (soil and landscape studies), having also collaborated with the Executive Committee of the Cocoa Farming Plan (Ceplac)². This public agency provided cocoa seeds and technical knowledge and assisted in the preparation and implementation of the SAFs.  

The independent annual audits improved aspects of Rioterra’s management, adapting its processes to the best market practices, including the creation of a Code of Ethics and its Internal Regulation. 

² Ceplac is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.

Risks and lessons learned

It can be said that the project has developed favorably. In terms of results, all the products and services planned were implemented, and all their objectives were achieved.  

The mobilization activities carried out with the community associations are noteworthy, having contributed to the success of the project. Rioterra adopted the practice of visiting the headquarters of these associations, allowing broad participation and involvement of the beneficiaries and strengthening the bonds of acceptance and credibility between the parties. 

The project innovated by introducing payment for environmental services in order to recognize the implementation and good maintenance practices carried out by the beneficiaries in the areas recovered by the project, based on the following technical criteria: (i) complete implementation of the SAF; (ii) application of the inputs offered to implement the SAF (limestone, fertilizer, etc.); (iii) performance of maintenance to ensure the regeneration of the SAF’s area; (iv) presence of a fence to isolate the area being recovered and (iii) good condition of the ground cover. 

Sustainability of the results

The project contributed to the environmental regularization of the rural properties of small family farmers, generating income through the recovery of deforested areas using SAFs. These results tend to be sustained over time, as SAFs consolidate themselves as an income option for these populations and the Brazilian environmental legislation is implemented by society.

The results achieved by the various training programs carried out by the project have expanded the knowledge of the benefited public on the implementation of SAFs, agroecology, associations, and other technical topics. These programs tend to have lasting and extended effects, if we consider the diffusion of knowledge that naturally occurs in interpersonal relationships. 

In turn, the laboratory for soil analysis at the Federal University of Rondônia, modernized and structured by the project, is part of the structure of UNIP, there being no reason to expect its paralysis or discontinuity.

It is worth mentioning that the Amazon Fund supports a new project presented by Rioterra, namely, the Plantar Rondônia project. This new project covers 12 municipalities, including the three municipalities benefited by the Amazon Backyards project, and its main objective is to contribute to the advancement of the environmental adequacy of small rural properties in the state of Rondônia.

It is believed that this new project, by significantly expanding the area and the number of properties to be environmentally restored and providing technical assistance and rural extension (Ater) to ensure the sustainability and technical excellence of agriculture, will also contribute to the durability of good results already achieved by the Amazon Backyards project.