The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative

Case Received: January 26, 1998

Author: Maria de Lourdes D. Freitas

Fax: +55 21 537 3029

E-mail: lourdes@muiraquita.com.br

The case study refers to a development project involving 18 traditional communities of low-income riverain people in the State of Amapá, North-eastern Amazonia, Brazil. The project area corresponds to the entire watershed of the Rio Maracá (cerca 324,000 ha). Natural resources used by the local communities are fish and game as the main source of proteins of their diet, subsistance agriculture on a small scale, and extractive exploitation of forest resources. Major income-generating forest products are: the fruits and palm hearts of the assaï palm (Euterpe oleracea) found in low-lying, daily flooded tidal marshland forests of the lower course of the Maraca river and, on the other hand, the brazil-nut, collected in high, dense dryland forests existing in the upper reaches of the river. Many other secondary forest products are collected, mainly for local use, such as wild honey, construction timber, logs for canoe , vines and other local sources of fiber, medical plants and barks, edible fruits as well as fruits (mainly from palm species) used to produce cooking oil and soap.

Six years ago, when the author made a first survey of natural forest resources in the Maraca Lower River region, part of the land traditionally used by the riverains had been bought by cattle-farmers. The introduction of buffaloes caused problems, e.g. frequent destruction of subsistance temporary crops and negative impacts on fish and alligators reproduction. A brazilian NGO (IEA, with headquarters in Curitiba, Paraná State, and Mary Helena Allegretti as president)) started providing support to the riverain communities of the Cajari and Maraca Rivers and fighting to obtain political support at federal level in Brasília. As a result of these efforts, the Cajari watershed became an Extrative Reserve under the administration of IBAMA (the federal natural resources agency). The Cajari watershed became a special community settlement project under the administration of INCRA (the federal agency for rural land reform and colonization) but INCRA never provided effective support to promote community development neither sustainable natural resource management. Both watersheds, located in the south-western section of Amapa, became reserved areas for the exclusive use for the riverain communities and are now protected against further encroachment by cattle-farmers. Cattle-farmers already established received legal compensation to leave the area but most of them remained, illegally, within both watersheds. IEA obtained funds from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation from Germany and started implementing a natural resource-based development project in benefit of the Maraca Riverain Communities. IEA bankrupted in december 1995 and that project, with continued financial support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was taken over by REBRAF in March 1996. A permanent staff of three field-operating professionals have been maintained in Amapá, spending most of their time with the communities in the Maraca watershed.

Before the beginning of IEA’s work with the Maraca communities, the riverain people had no associative organization and were totally dependent on intermediaries who paid ridiculously low prices for their products. The trend among the riverain was therefore to collect more and more forest products without due regard to sustainability of the resource base. On different occasions, some communities of the Lower Maraca sold assaï palm heart exploitation rights to outsiders who caused much felling damages and a dramatic fall of subsequent yields.

The geographical limits of the Maraca watershed have been mapped and materialized 12 months ago, as a result of REBRAF’s lobbying work in Brasilia.

IEA and, afterwards, REBRAF’s strategy has given high priority to the following improvement measures:

• the dissemination of technical capacities to the riverain people in the field of natural resource management, with special reference to marshland forest stands exploited for assaï fruits and palm heart; this has been done by means of training courses and the establishment of demonstration management plots;

• strengthening the Maraca Riverain People Association, with special reference to community management capacity and the organization of income-generating activities; to this effect, in-service leaders’ training and education have been carried out;

• training adolescents and young adults of the existing communities to become disseminators of i.a. conservative natural resource use and manegement practices.

From that work, developed over a period of cerca four years, the following main results have been obtained:

• three "on-farm" marshland demonstration plots have been established, giving so far priority to enrichment planting of assaï palm; these plots attracted the attention of many other riverain people who started to adopt management practices in their own secondarized marshland forests;

• based on voluntary work provided by the riverain people, the Maraca Association has progressively built its headquarters with, today, training facilities and inexpensive equipment to implement income generating activities. Maraca women started producing and selling brazil-nut cookies. Improved tools have been supplied to one of the communities to make better quality canoes and small motorized boats used, providing transportation facilities of products by river to the road crossing the Maraca watershed: the road is then used to transfer products to city markets;

• ad hoc training courses have resulted in a larger production of handicraft made of secondary forest products; these handicraft products are sold in town and to week-end visitors coming to the Maraca River;

• the Association has obtained a booth in the commercial sector of Amapa main city (Macapa) used for sale of goods produced by the riverain people; these are becoming less and less dependent on intermediaries and have increased their income;

• 16 local grassroot disseminators have been trained to expand technical training and environment education among the communities. The leader of each community has also received training. Slash and burn subsistance griculture is maintained within the limits of traditional landuse practice, involving long duration tree fallow.

Three basic principles, have been learned from our work with these communities: the acceptance of sustainable management of natural resource -including landuse alternatives- depends on expected financial benefits for local people and, on the other hand, requires a strong grass roots organization. Also of major importance: the professionals in charge of extension work must spend most of their time in the field, with the communities. These three guidelines are of general applicability.

Other lessons derived from the case are replicable elsewhere, in situations of equivalent social and ecological characteristics. These, more specific lessons are:

• national and international market for shelled or de-shelled brazilian nuts is limited: alternative product processing, such as biscuits confectionery is mostly interesting for women and providing additional income;

• on-farm establisment of demonstration forest resource management plots in areas of easy access play an important role in the dissemination of rehabilitation and management techniques among riverain people;

• sustained in-service training of local association leaders is more important than conventional leadership and admistration training courses;

• strengthening the local association and land tenure security are decisive: otherwise, destructive practices could take over convivial models of natural resource use.

(Appendix)

We are a development-oriented non-governmental non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting agroforestry land-use alternatives in Brazil, with special attention to the amazon and the Atlantic rainforest Region.

Agroforestry is a conservative, low external-input land-use alternative in which trees, shrubs and palms are combined in agricultural crop fields and pastures. Trees improve soil fertility and long term sustainability of farm production. They also provide various products and services, such as timber, firewood, fruits, food for people (like honey and nuts), forage for domestic animals and wild game, medicinal products, shade, watershed conservation and soil protection against erosion. Agroforestry can help poor farmers to increase their income, avoid soil degradation and remain on their farm forever. Because of these characteristics, agroforestry contributes to small farmers' sedentation and forest conservation.

We are operating with a relatively small staff (see complete list at the end of this flyer). Our main office is located in Rio de Janeiro. We have two field office facilities: one in Iguape (on São Paulo´s atlantic coast) and one in Macapá (State of Amapa; Eastern Amazonia).

Today, REBRAF is working mainly in four interconnected fields of activities : (1) agroforestry development (production systems, product processing and marketing) for low-income farmers and forest dwellers, (2) agroforestry training, (3) agroforestry documentation and publications, and (4) the role of women in rural development.

At the begining of REBRAF's existence, two agroforestry development projects have been carried out in the Amazon: one in Ouro Preto d´Oeste (Rondônia, Western Amazon), the other one in Paragominas (southern Pará, Eastern Amazon). Both received an initial support from the Small Programme of the Canadian Embassy. After two successful years, they were handed over to local NGOs and have been continued with other funds. The communities involved in the Rondônia project have created a self-sustained low-income farmers association (APA) with active marketing facilities (eco-food, honey and bee-farming by-products, locally-made beehives components).

On March 1, 1996, REBRAF has taken in charge a conservation-oriented development project involving 18 riverain communities of the Maraca river watershed (extending over ca. 324,000 ha), in the State of Amapá. That project is financed by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, for three years, possibly with a one year extension. The main activities of the project are: strengthening local community organizations, promote community contacts and liaison with government authorities with special reference to land rights, sustained-yield management of wood and non-wood forest products, agroforestry development, women role in community development, product processing and marketing. Our main local partner is ATEXMA (Associação dos Trabalhadores Extrativistas do Maracá = an association of traditional riverain people of the Maraca River).

In the past, the mountain ranges along the Atlantic Coast of Brazil were covered by species-rich rainforest. Cerca 96% of these forests have already been destroyed. In the State of São Paulo, we are carrying out grassroot development projects, in partnership with another brazilian NGO PROTER- and forest dwellers associations. These projects are located in still densely forested mountain ranges along the Atlantic Coast (the Iguape region), and involve various traditional forest dwellers communities. Main activities are : improving local farmers associations, revival of former cultural traditions, revival or introduction of agroforestry practices (mainly, in connection with commercial banana plantations and palm heart production), cottage production of small wood-objects (toys, orthopedic appliances, etc.), sustained-yield forest management, and training courses according to local demand and necessities. These activities are receiving financial support from various sources, mainly : CIM (German Integrated Experts Programme; support ended January 1997), the French Foundation fort he Environment, the Interamerican Foundation, the Global Environment Fund of Japan, the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (Gerrmany) and the General Consulate of Germany in São Paulo.

In October 1996, REBRAF has started investing support received from Japan, to develop a Caissara Training and Demonstration Centre, at Itapema, near Iguape, SP.

In the State of Rio de Janeiro, field diagnostic surveys and preliminar training and development activities have already been implemented during nearly two years. Based on the results of these surveys, two inter-connected project proposals have been prepared by REBRAF in partnership with two other RJ-based NGOs (IDACO and EcoAtiva). These proposals have been negotiated, respectively with the European Commission (DG I, Brussels) and the MacArthur Foundation. Both proposals have been approved and project implementation started.The projects give a high priority to forest protection but will also provide support to the demonstration and diffusion of improved landuse practices in buffer zones around existing protected native forests.

In June 1996, REBRAF obtained PD\A funds from the PP-G7 (Pilot Program for the Conservation of Brazilian Tropical Forests, using funds granted by the Group of Seven - G-7). This financial support has been approved for a period of three years. Project execution started in July 1996. Funds are used in benefit of low-income farmers settled on deforested land, in the region of Japeri-RJ. Project activities are being implemented in partnership with the Municipality of Japeri.

In September 1997, at the request of EMBRAPA’s Soil Research Natiional Center, REBRAF became partner of RECAPES, a cooperative network for research for mountain soil management in the State of Rio de Janeiro. REBRAF will provide assisatance in the establishment of demonstration mountain agroforestry plots.

In partnership with two other local NGOs, we are now building-up a project proposal whose objective is to establish an Environment Conservation and Sustainable Development Centre of Excellency in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

REBRAF has implemented many intensive, short-duration training courses for small farmers and extension workers, in Eastern, Central and Western Amazon, and in the States of Maranhão, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A little more than one thousand seven hundred low-income farmers, forest dwellers and extension workers have received training. The courses, carried out mainly on-farm, have been related to agroforestry landuse practices, soil conservation and soil fertility maintenance, community organization strategies, local processing of products, marketing strategies, bee-farming, etc. Our main donors for that training programme have been: Misereor (german NGO), the Ford Foundation (USA), the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation (USA), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (Germany), the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform (Brasilia), the Federal University of Pará (POEMA Project, with funds from Daimler-Benz), and WWF.

REBRAF has also been active in agroforestry courses organized by the german organization SACTES and the brazilian NGO AS-PTA in the States of Espirito Santo and São Paulo. It has been involved in the realization of agroforestry refreshing courses provided by the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences at Piracicaba (São Paulo University) and, on the other hand, by the Secretary of Agriculture of the State of Amapá.

REBRAF is working at national level in agroforestry documentation and publications. When REBRAF started operating eight years ago, our information service was limited to the publication of a quarterly agroforestry bulletin for Brazil.

The publication of that informative bulletin has remained one of our major activities, until it was suspended , in January 1995, due to lack of funds. It has played a prominent role as a source of specialized agroforestry information in portuguese language for professionals working in the fields of research, education, rural extension and landuse policies in Brazil. In 1994, the bulletin was reaching a little more than 1,200 readers, about 1.000 in Brazil. The bulletin was known abroad, among specialists or specialized agencies (FAO, ICRAF, GTZ, WWF, etc.), NGOs and Foundations particularly in the US, Canada, Western Europe and spanish-speaking latinamerican countries.

The agroforestry training courses given by REBRAF have stressed the urgent need to produce technical publications for farmers and extension workers in the Amazon. This shift in our global strategy was necessary in order to expand on a larger scale our contribution to sustainable development and improved life conditions for low-income farmers. The production of publications tailored to specific needs means more work than the preparation of training courses but the resulting publications reach a much larger audience.

From June 1, 1993 to mid 1996, most of our Ford Foundation grant has been used to produce an Agroforestry Manual for the Amazon.. The first volume of the Manual (cerca 218 pages), published in 1996, is presenting general concepts of agroforestry and a detailed description of agroforestry systems and practices of major importance for the Amazon.. Three thousand exemplars have been printed and sold in the space of nine months only. A second edition of that first volume has been printed in july 1997. The Manual is sold at a relatively low price, compared to other publications produced in Brazil. Income from the first volume will help producing the second and third volumes. The second and third volume are being prepared.

During two years, REBRAF has been coordinating, in Brazil. the implementation of the GENESYS Project, supported with USAID funds under the administtion of a U.S.-based NGO. The main objective of that project was to cause an increased participation of women in amazonian rural development. GENESYS promoted women meetings in selected rural communities, provided special training of local NGOs staff members and financed socio-economic studies related to community-level product processing and marketing strategies. As a result of these activities, several amazonian NGOs have opened a much larger space to women in their respective rural development projects and in their own staff. GENESYS has published, in portuguese, a book ("Manual de Comercialização de Produtos Florestais" ="A Forest Products Marketing Manual") providing marketing guidelines to amazonian low-income communities.

GENESYS has given due attention to women's role in agroforestry development, with special reference to homegardens and cottage product processing.. GENESYS-Brazil ended in March 1995, but gender-oriented activities are being developed in REBRAF’s field projects in Amapá and Rio de Janeiro.

In 1997 and 1998, part of the grant from the Ford Foundation will be used to carry-out gender oriented activities in the Strate of Rio de Janeiro, with special reference to fuller participation of women in development decision making, product processing and other rent-generating activities.

REBRAG is ruled through decisions approved by a General Assembly, meeting at least twice a year. Programs and institutional policies are prepared and monitored by a Council of Administration. Operationalization is carried by an Executive Secretary.

So far, we have been successful in obtaining financial support for our projects. Our main difficulties arise from two sets of circumstances : (a) more than 90% of our budget comes from outside Brazil, in the form of short term grants , and (b) we are suffering recurrent lack of financial resources, between successive grants, with negative effects on our global performance. Resulting problems affect recurrent expenses like office renting, the cost of pre-project activities and general administration, including secretarial support and accountancy. Our budget dimensions cause also financial bottlenecks such as payment of salaries to staff membersin between projects. In 1997, REBRAF has lost a significant amount of operational funds as a consequence of the a sudden drop of the value of the german mark in relation with the official position of the brazilian "real". In order to solve these problems, we are working to obtain support within Brazil, from private entreprises interested in sharing our objectives. To this effect, we are gathering all the necessary documentation to obtain the status of public utility. As this will take time, we have also started to sell technical assistance services, the benefits of which will be assigned to an institutional core fund.