Biodiversity in the Amazon Forest

Through the project "Resgatando o conhecimento e a biodiversidade da Amazônia" (Rescuing knowledge and biodiversity in the Amazon), small family farmers involved in ADM palm production in the state of Pará were provided with guidance on environmental legislation, ecological restoration, and ecosystem services. These efforts aimed to generate benefits for agricultural production on their properties.

The project started in January 2016 as an initiative focused on biodiversity conservation and environmental adaptation on small rural properties. This endeavor is being executed through a partnership between the Wildlife Research and Environmental Education Society (SPVS) and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM).

SPVS has developed a method for managing biodiversity on rural properties that is both economically feasible and compatible with agricultural production and the realities faced by farmers. This method's viability was tested over a period of 40 months on properties in the municipality of Paula Freitas, located in south-central Paraná. It has shown promise for replication in other municipalities, particularly in regions with a significant number of small family farmers. Among the participating companies, ADM has already conducted a training course in collaboration with Copérdia in the state of Santa Catarina. Since the beginning of 2018, ADM has been actively supporting biodiversity conservation efforts on small family farms engaged in palm oil production in the state of Pará.

In pursuit of this goal, ADM extension technicians provided training to local farmers on practical guidelines for managing biodiversity on the properties of cooperative members. Biodiversity management involves implementing techniques to enhance the conditions of natural areas, thereby augmenting the services that nature can offer for agriculture. Beyond promoting the conservation and restoration of natural habitats, biodiversity management can also contribute to reducing production costs and boosting agricultural productivity by improving the natural processes that sustain agriculture.