Agrobiodiversity in the lower Rio Negro

Project begin: 10/08/2005

This award-winning project promotes biodiversity and local agriculture in Brazil’s Lower Rio Negro region. By sharing local knowledge, communities live in harmony with the Amazon rainforest, while improving their income.

Leading organisation: IPÊ - Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Ecological Research Institute)

The country where the team is based: Brazil

Theme: Biodiversity, Education for Sustainable Development, Local and Indigenous Knowledge

Sub-themes: Agriculture, Climate change, Cultural diversity, Environment, Food and food security, Gender equality and women's empowerment, Knowledge sharing, Natural resource management, Poverty and inequality reduction

Selection: 2020/2021

Contact the project owner

Project needs

Communication strategy design

Crowdfunding

Equipment supply

Financial management

In search of financial partners

Logistical support

Monitoring and evaluation

Partnerships development

Research

Sponsorship/ Philanthropy

Training

Translations services

Discover

Sweets produced by women participating in the project

Discussion about the experiences of each member of the community

Farmer, Manaus, Brazil

Implementation of an agroforestry system

Sweets produced by women participating in the project

Group of farmes in an organic fair

Brazil’s Rio Negro region is threatened by deforestation and less diverse agricultural practices. In 2005, a group of citizens and researchers – Mariana Gama Semeghini, Márcio Arthur Oliverira de Menezes, Leonardo Pereira Kurihara and Thiago Mota Cardoso – decided to do something about it.

Supporting local ecosystems and entrepreneurs

So, a citizen-led agrobiodiversity project was born with the aim of developing and consolidating agroecological production systems and agrobiodiversity products. How? Through participatory ethnoecological research, training and exchanging experiences. This in turn adds value to local knowledge, generates income, promotes entrepreneurship and strengthens local organisations

The project has been awarded numerous prizes including Best Practices in Local Management Award – Caixa Econômica Federal (2013). So far, 150 farming families have benefited from training and exchanged experiences. 20 areas based on agroforestry systems with more than 20 species have been established.

The project continues to make a positive impact on indigenous and riverine families, improving product quality, increasing household income and reinforcing agroecological systems.

Are you keen to promote biodiversity? Would you like to support this dynamic citizen project?

https://www.ipe.org.br/en/projects/lower-rio-negro/1289-agro-biodiversity-project