The IDH Brazil team and the partners directly involved in the implementation of Compacts and co-funding programs have dedicated one day to updates on the work developed, the sharing of results throughout the year and the planning of priority actions for 2021. The meeting was held online, on 15 December, with more than 25 participants who were able to share information and dialogue about the State Strategy and the PCI Institute, the Regional Compacts of the Juruena Valley, Sorriso, Barra do Garças, and Balsas and Region, and the Programs for Sustainable Calf Production, Nosso Leite and Cultivando Vida Sustentável.
IDH Brazil Executive Director & Latam Landscapes Program Director, Daniela Mariuzzo, underscored the importance of the work carried out by IDH and its partners, emphasizing that despite this being a difficult year, it was possible to continue helping to improve the lives of many people. “The year ahead will be a very important one for all of us, a year to consolidate the strategy, all the work that has been done, to evaluate what has been learned and, above all, to tell this whole story in a way that people identify themselves and understand how significant what we all do together is,” stressed Mariuzzo.
Throughout the day, each participant presented their collaboration in the development of the various work fronts in the territories of Mato Grosso and Balsas, in Maranhão, aiming at the common interest, allowing connections and exchange of experiences for an even more integrated performance.
The morning was dedicated to the PCI. Fernando Sampaio, Executive Director of the Strategy and of the PCI Institute, spoke about the participatory assessment process of the Strategy goals and brought updates on the Institute’s Work Plan. “We need to show what we are here for and to do so, we need to present results. This is the only way we will be able to guarantee the interest, mainly of the State Government and the companies, to continue supporting and investing. This is a work of persuading everyone, constantly”, he evaluated.
The approach for the development of common agendas between government, PCI and IDH was endorsed by the coordinator of Climate Change and REDD+ of the State of Mato Grosso, Maurício Philip, who attended the meeting. “We have many opportunities to take joint action, such as on the decarbonization agenda, which can include aspects of public policy and field projects, such as livestock,” commented Philip.
After that, the implementation teams of the Compacts in Barra do Garças (TNC), Juruena Valley and Sorriso (Natcap), and Balsas Region – MA (Fapcen), presented a balance of the 2020 results and the prospects for 2021. Among the various points discussed, there is one in common that will be addressed as priority during the next year, which is the creation of gender-specific goals for the protection and inclusion of women.
“We are very proud of the work being developed in Mato Grosso because it is the accomplishment of many partners’ efforts. Certainly, it has already influenced other municipalities and states. This is a very interesting matrix even in a very polarized phase with controversial debates, but everyone has decided to focus on dialogue to develop something collective for the common good,” said Giovana Baggio, from TNC.
“I was very happy to hear everything that was said here, especially in defense of farmers, to show who we are and what we do: produce, preserve and include. Mato Grosso is to be congratulated and it is a privilege to be here”, said Dudy Paiva, president of CAT Sorriso, and a farmer in the municipality.
“Hearing what everyone has said, makes us want to work more. We have always been inspired by the example of Mato Grosso, which is a state that has come forth and set an example for the world, and we are very proud. And we are trying to do some similar work here in Maranhão,” revealed Gisela Introvini, Fapcen superintendent.
“It is very good to see the work that everyone is doing together; it highlights problems and challenges and identifies opportunities and solutions. We can learn and improve our work too”, pondered Mathias Almeida, from Natcap.
In the afternoon, the agenda covered programs co-financed by IDH and the private sector, including soybean certification, support to family farming, sustainable beef, and milk production.
CAT Sorriso, member of the Sorriso PCI Compact and implementer of the Cultivating Sustainable Life Program, in the municipality, brought outstanding examples by reporting on the auditing and certification processes of soybean-producing farms, in addition to twenty virtual family farming programs. “It was laborious and difficult. But we’ve learned that nothing is impossible and we’re going to take this forward to next year,” stressed Cristina Delicato, coordinator of events and projects at CAT.
The Sustainable Calf Production Program was also on the agenda with presentations by the two implementing partners: Natcap and Acrimat.
In the Juruena Valley region the work is conducted by NatCap, which brought updated data and highlighted the Program’s connection potential with the markets, which can be intensified through the SourceUp Platform. (Find out more here) “Our goal is to support small-scale farmers with a tracked calf model, clear of deforestation, genetically sound, compliant with environmental and labour legislation, with beef quality, and which can be valued by the market inside and outside the country,” said Alexandre Correia, from Natcap.
Acrimat (Mato Grosso Breeders Association), which implements the Program in the Araguaia region, discussed the environmental monitoring system, a tool that will help the property management process. In addition, the program is expected to expand to the Pantanal region next year. “We are very optimistic and eager to expand the Sustainable Calf Production Program, in the first half of 2021, to the Pantanal. We have signed the letter of intent with IDH because we believe this is a winning partnership,” said Amado Oliveira, consultant at Acrimat.
Still about livestock, but this time on milk, the coordinator of Sebrae in the region of Juína, Josemar Farias de Albuquerque, spoke about the technical assistance provided by the Nosso Leite (Our Milk) Program, which includes animal pasture management aimed at increasing productivity and milk quality. At the end, he gave the participants testimonials from small-scale farmers who take part in the Program in the Juruena Valley region. “It’s really interesting to realize, based on the farmers’ remarks, that the benefits go far beyond milk. They report improvements in family relations, in young people’s interest in studies involving issues in the field, and so on,” he stated.
For IDH, the results presented show the commitment of the implementing partners in engaging farmers, companies, governments, and other stakeholders in building a territorial development that prioritizes production, conservation, and inclusion.