First ISLA projects being signed in Mato Grosso

The ISLA team in Mato Grosso is in the process of approving the co-funding of three state wide projects as a part of the state government’s Environmental Regularization program (“PRA”).

The projects will support beef and soy farmers through technical training to improve productivity, and other trainings to help comply with various environmental and social standards such as restoration of degraded forests and meeting international benchmarks on good agricultural practices.

The first step farmers need to take prior to trainings is registering their farms under the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). While many farmers are registered by CAR, lack of registration is a major impediment for the government when addressing deforestation.

The PRA program, of which the three ISLA projects are a part, is aimed at moving beef and soy farmers in Mato Grosso to comply with the Forest Code (Brazil’s legal requirements on deforestation). As a result, it is expected that the farmers will have access to rural credit (which requires them to meet these standards); intensifying cattle production on existing land will reduce conversion of the forest into agricultural land, while the state’s beef and soy production continue to grow.

In parallel, ISLA is in the process of developing a financial facility that attracts investment and offers innovative financial solutions to PRA projects and farmers that comply with the Forest Code.