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The market has been renewing itself and creating venture proposals connected to the demands of a socio-environmental committed agenda. In the Amazonian context, the so-called impact businesses are gaining more space and they stand out by combining economic gains with the appreciation of local practices, knowledge, and culture, and the purpose of overcoming regional inequalities. &nbsp;When it comes to the Amazon, the challenges are numerous and include, for example, biome conservation, logistical singularities, investment attraction, the appreciation of culture through traditional activities among the population, the incorporation of disruptive strategies, and the dissemination in different consumer markets. To face these and other issues, actions aimed at high-impact businesses acceleration have demonstrated their importance as facilitating mechanisms for sustainable development. A great contribution in that sense has been made by Fundo Vale, which incorporated fostering businesses with positive socio-environmental impact into the planning of Meta Florestal da Vale 2030 (Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal). Within this scope, the mining company made a voluntary commitment to protect and recover 500,000 hectares of forests, 400,000 of them being in protected areas, and 100,000 in recovery areas. Among these last ones, this will be mainly processed by impactful business arrangements such as employment and income generation for the population involved, the re-establishment of a family farming and small producers culture, as well as improving aspects such as carbon dioxide sequestration capacity through greater vegetation coverage. With this planning, the main focus is on supporting agroforestry systems projects (SAFs), which are alternatives for area recovery, then contributing to the ecosystem services, using different productive arboreal, agricultural, and/or animal species, thus enabling the aggregation of biodiversity conservation and economic return. &nbsp;<blockquote>We align the natural environment with an intrinsic factor to the project’s sustainability, which is mankind’s role in the ecosystem. Agroforestry systems are based on the premise of conservation through use, that is, sustainable income generation, emphasizes Bia Marchiori, Fundo Vale’s agronomist.</blockquote> Currently, there are already five projects directly supported by Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal, which, by the end of 2021, have contributed to the recovery of 6,178 hectares through planting. One of them is Belterra Agroflorestas that promotes the deployment of productive forests in which different cultures are associated, such as cassava, cocoa, açaí, and banana. There are over 1,000 recovered hectares in different types of contracts with producers from the states of Pará, Rondônia, Bahia, and Minas Gerais.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Bia_Marchiori_Fundo_Vale_1a8b5922f2.png" alt="Bia Marchiori - Fundo Vale[.png" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Bia_Marchiori_Fundo_Vale_1a8b5922f2.png 117w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Bia_Marchiori_Fundo_Vale_1a8b5922f2.png 375w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Bia_Marchiori_Fundo_Vale_1a8b5922f2.png 563w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Bia_Marchiori_Fundo_Vale_1a8b5922f2.png 751w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>To Bia Marchiori, Fundo Vale’s agronomist, supporting these new businesses is essential to build a new economy (Release/Fundo Vale)</figcaption></figure> To Bia Marchiori, Belterra’s experience is representative of the alignment with the set of criteria valued by Fundo Vale, which includes the business’s financial and sustainable indicators analysis, such as the scale potential, the carbon credit generation, and the positive social &amp; environmental impacts. “The challenge here is that there aren’t many agroforestry projects or businesses in the scale intended to be achieved by Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal. Therefore, is it essential we look carefully at the bottlenecks and potentials of agroforestry businesses invested so that, in addition to the implementation of hectares, we can foster and strengthen this sector in an ecoefficient way. The alignment of food and raw material production, along with soil, water, and biodiversity conservation is essential. Then, yes, we reached the scale, and we will also be able to help decrease climate change”, adds Bia Marchiori. In addition, Fundo Vale supports initiatives such as Amaz Aceleradora de Impacto (Amaz Impact Accelerator) which seeks, through innovation, to transform the region’s economic matrix. Projects involving sustainable agriculture and livestock, forest management, community-based tourism, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, carbon credit generation, and other environmental products and services are some of the axes valued in the businesses that make up the initiative’s portfolio. &nbsp;<blockquote>“Supporting these new businesses is essential to build a new economy. We don’t know exactly how it will emerge; we have several guesses, several chains, several potential territories, but the only way we have to build this economy is to test it, to invest a lot in many different types of enterprising businesses”, states the new businesses director and CEO of Amaz, Mariano Cenamo, that emphasizes what is intended is to build the foundations of an economy committed to environmental conservation and the reduction of social inequalities.&nbsp;</blockquote> Amaz was born in 2021 but is already a result of a successful proposal in the impact business area, the Parceiros pela Amazônia (PPA) acceleration program. In a PPA spin-off-like fashion, the accelerator inherited the 12 businesses supported since 2018 and should reach 2025 with a total of 30 projects, benefiting from a BRL 25 million investment. According to Cenamo, the proposal has three main differentials in comparison to other experiences. The first one is the initial allocation of BRL 200,000 for those selected, which enables the businesses to invest and dedicate themselves to mentoring, training, qualification, immersion, and other activities. In the second one, Amaz creates acceleration timeframes that suit different projects' needs. And in the last one, there’s the technical team involvement on the program’s daily basis activities and in the solution of problems faced by the supported ventures. With this, it is possible to envision benefits that extend from the short term, with the incentive to actions that favor command and control institutions in the fight against deforestation, as an example; to the medium and long term, by creating a favorable environment for innovation and proposing alternatives to the Amazon development.“It is indeed necessary to take risks, to test, and to gather both regional and foreign entrepreneurs to build this new economy. That’s why it is so important to support businesses, especially those which are willing to innovate in their method to offer a service or product to society and those that have the purpose to solve urgent social and environmental problems in the Amazon region”, emphasizes Mariano Cenamo.“Supporting these new businesses is essential to build a new economy. We don’t know exactly how it will emerge; we have several guesses, several chains, several potential territories, but the only way we have to build this economy is to test it, to invest a lot in many different types of enterprising businesses”, states the new businesses director and CEO of Amaz, Mariano Cenamo, that emphasizes what is intended is to build the foundations of an economy committed to environmental conservation and the reduction of social inequalities.&nbsp; “It is indeed necessary to take risks, to test, and to gather both regional and foreign entrepreneurs to build this new economy. That’s why it is so important to support businesses, especially those which are willing to innovate in their method to offer a service or product to society and those that have the purpose to solve urgent social and environmental problems in the Amazon region”, emphasizes Mariano Cenamo. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Belterra_dez2021_9_2e49170be6.jpg" alt="Belterra_dez2021_9.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Belterra_dez2021_9_2e49170be6.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Belterra_dez2021_9_2e49170be6.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Belterra_dez2021_9_2e49170be6.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Belterra_dez2021_9_2e49170be6.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>v there are already five projects directly supported by Vale’s 2030 Forest Goal, Belterra Agroflorestas is one of them. (Release/ Belterra Archives)</figcaption></figure>Among the same line of action, Movimento Amazônia em Casa, Floresta em Pé (Amazon at Home, Forest Standing Movement) proposal comes to strengthen the regional sustainable businesses, especially focusing on those that sell products from the local socio-biodiversity. The main line of action is the market access program, which combines training and dissemination at fairs and events, with constructing alternatives for logistics and commercialization, thus facing major bottlenecks that restrict access to Amazon products and limit their competitiveness at the national and global scenario.“As Bioeconomy is a sector under construction, many are the challenges presented, ranging from the structuring of the entire innovation, research, product development ecosystem, and access to the market &nbsp;to the development and improvement of these products. Many of them need to improve their communication, such as packaging, impactful narratives, assessment of nutritional values. There are also many logistical challenges given the Amazon continental dimensions and inappropriate infrastructure for small entrepreneurs” contextualizes Floriana Breyer, Movimento’s strategic partnerships coordinator.In practical terms, the structure of Movimento Amazônia em Casa, Floresta em Pé enables the 33 selected businesses to be promoted on large platforms such as Mercado Livre, Locale, Soulog, among others which currently offer consumers a variety of food, handicraft products, and vegetable oils from the main socio-biodiversity regional chains.To Floriana Breyer, an experience like this is capable of showing the potential the national economy has to pave new paths.<blockquote>“The benefits are diverse; they can change the country’s development blueprint by creating and strengthening new production chains based on forest assets and by keeping it standing, instead of following the commodities supply line of raw materials, thus avoiding deforestation, carbon emissions, generation jobs in the region and keeping local populations in their territories of origin”, points out the coordinator.</blockquote>

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Investment in innovative ventures contributes to forest conservation, combined with social impact

High-impact businesses acceleration strengthens Amazon's economy

Home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet, the Amazon region possesses a rich ecosystem regarding plants, animals and microorganisms. About 60% of its territory is located in Brazil, according to Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics]. Within this broad territory, in the largest tropical forest on the planet, considerable amount of raw materials are found suitable to develop unique technologies, capable of making the region a gateway to innovative investments.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Vm2X-oLjQ&amp;list=PLwoDrF1Md_jN15S6RhWgpJbVrVpm-ln7K&amp;index=4"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P2Vm2X-oLjQ" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure>Startups – technology-based companies that seek solutions for products and services – have progressively won more space in the region, and especially in the territory of Pará state. One of them – Biomimetics Biotechnology – develops an edible skin. Imperceptible to the human eye, and made from fruit peels. This delicate skin is able to extend the life of food stored in shelves. The product was created in 2019 by three partners as a result of an entrepreneurship competition organized by the Federal University of Pará [UFPA], The Inove+. Since then, the product has been improved and is now undergoing the final stages of development to be launched in the market.&nbsp; &nbsp;Increasing the shelf life of bananas, tomatoes and apples is the company's main focus, explains partner and executive director Jonas Cunha da Silva, a bioprocess engineer: “We've already achieved the extension of about four more days at room temperature. All this thanks to our bioactive components. In addition to fruit peels, we use several natural ingredients from the Brazilian Amazon”. The main customer to test the progress and efficiency of the product is the hortifruti products distributor, who makes the food circulate to the entire chain. “We have about nine people, most of whom are bioprocess engineers working in research, product development and production”.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The growing increase in organic waste, mainly deriving from agribusiness, and the great waste of food on a global scale were the factors that motivated the team of entrepreneurs to act. One of the founders had the idea to make the skin – the organic film – while researching on biomaterials. After sharing his idea with two other friends, who studied the extraction of components from fruit peels, the project was born. The initial intent was to take part in the contest promoted by the Federal University of Pará [UFPA], in which the idea won the first place. The other partners of Biomimética Biotecnologia are the bioprocess engineers André da Luz de Freitas and Patrícia Oliveira Santos, respectively, research and production directors.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_3_09c136986e.webp" alt="image (3).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_3_09c136986e.webp 137w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_3_09c136986e.webp 439w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Reproduction)</figcaption></figure>“In order to ensure a more sustainable future for our country, we need to invest in products with high added value, such as this skin. I see a lot of potential in what we do, as our team is very engaged and has already developed other innovative products with similar proposals. We have gathered a lot of knowledge on the subject and we are aware of the relevance of this type of product for the country and for the world. I believe a great deal in the potential of our country and I know we are one of the countries responsible for feeding the rest of the world. But to keep up performing such a task, we need to guarantee safe and quality food for everyone”, says Jonas Cunha the bioprocess engineer.According to Jonas , one advantage of developing this technology within the Amazon is the enormous diversity it encompasses, which allows the product to incorporate natural ingredients with bioactive properties that can protect food in a fully functional and safe way, without the need to synthesize harmful chemicals to the environment.In addition, we emphasize the opportunity to observe conscientiously the rich diversity of the fruit sector, with foods that exist, exclusively, in states that surround the Amazon region - known abroad as ‘superfruits’. Jonas also explains that many of these fruits are not yet known due to their short shelf life: they spoil even before they reach other states or countries. The organic skin created by Biomimetica can help change this scenario and increase the income of communities that depend on this type of commerce.Bringing up sustainable ideas is the way out to guarantee a long life for businesses and projects. The startup's executive director emphasizes: “The market is becoming increasingly competitive and, nowadays, it’s not just about making money, but staying consistently profitable, that is, financially alive for the next decades, without harming the environment or causing social instability. A sustainable idea must be based on three pillars: social, financial and environmental. This attitude towards the market and nature will guarantee a less unequal planet for everyone, one that is more environmentally friendly to live in, with fewer disasters and fewer tragedies and economic instabilities”, says Jonas Cunha.<blockquote>"A sustainable idea must be based on three pillars: social, financial and environmental" -&nbsp;Jonas Cunha,&nbsp;bioprocess engineer.</blockquote>In his opinion, investments from public and private agents are the solution for sustainable ideas to succeed. Jonas defends that the State should invest in Bioeconomy and, in partnerships with solid companies, providing the necessary support for these projects to fully mirror the market, instead of being simply ‘ideas’.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Technology transforms family farming</h2>&nbsp;Developing a system that could track any product originating from family farming was the determinant motivating factor for the emergence of Amachains, a startup company that today has a traceability management platform with a marketplace. The tracking of products and services is performed by using blockchain and compliance to transform agribusiness and bioeconomy production chains into sustainable business networks. The team started working in January 2018, but it was only in October 2019 that the company was established. Today, it operates in the agribusiness and bioeconomy production chains, but the company has already had experience with the mining chain as well.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_7_31bbfe2537.webp" alt="image (7).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_7_31bbfe2537.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_7_31bbfe2537.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_7_31bbfe2537.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_7_31bbfe2537.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Alexandre Bezerra, a production engineer and also an agribusiness technician (Personal archive)</figcaption></figure>“The main solution is a platform that allows tracking products, services and impact indicators linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Amachains proposal has its origins in the harsh reality of family farmers who, despite the various actions taken by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), companies and people on their regard, cannot change their condition of being the weakest part of agribusiness”, evaluates Alexandre Bezerra – the startup's founder and CEO, a production engineer and also an agribusiness technician. “We realized that we could help and decided to tackle this problem with a traceability system that could be given away for free to one of the most important players in agribusiness and the bioeconomy in Brazil. We represent a social project with the purpose of generating justice, prosperity and dignity for all producers”.By offering an innovative and disruptive platform, the Amachains may project the Amazon region to national prominence concerning modernity and technology, providing cutting-edge technology at affordable prices to all producers in agribusiness and bioeconomy, considering either those ones who work on extractive activities or not, and also for free to the producers who are legally registered as family farmers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>"Surely, our greatest satisfaction and potential is being able to gather small family farmers in this journey towards the achievement of sustainable development and innovation" - &nbsp;a production engineer and also an agribusiness technician (Personal archive)</blockquote>&nbsp;Alexandre explains that the solutions being created add great value to all the actors in the productive chains, especially to family farming. In parallel, there are innovations in state-of-the-art technology, such as blockchain. “The way we use the blockchain to create our platform and our business is innovative in Brazil and in the world. Surely, our greatest satisfaction and potential is being able to gather small family farmers in this journey towards the achievement of sustainable development and innovation. Our platform was developed to reach national and international levels”.The team currently has 10 members – it has increased 100% in number of employees in 2021 and is supposed to increase even more in 2022, according to the CEO. Alexandre states that it becomes increasingly necessary to create startups which solve problems concerning global warming and provide more sustainable development. For him, a company that does not care about the planet, following guidelines of good governance, paying close attention to environment and social issues, is like signing a “death penalty”. Thus, he advocates everyone should work in advance and pay attention to the Amazon.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Project seeks to decrease cost to producers and to buyers</h2>&nbsp;Directto, another startup empowering producers and buyers, aims at cutting out the necessity of middlemen in the commerce of Amazon bioeconomy products. Using a platform, the group, acting in Pará state territory for about one year, manages efficient and clear direct sales, without the necessity of intermediary people, resulting in higher profiting and lower costs to the sellers and to the buyers, also providing a source of reliable and quality suppliers.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_8_7331784ded.webp" alt="image (8).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_8_7331784ded.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_8_7331784ded.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_8_7331784ded.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_8_7331784ded.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira is Co-founder and CEO of Directto (Personal archive)</figcaption></figure>Co-founder and CEO of Directto, Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira, expert entrepreneur in growth hacking, attributes the emergence of the project to a friend of him, who was living in Portugal – since he had no planned career, he thought about exporting products to that country. He decided to sell açai, and for that purpose he contacted local companies. “I saw how the process of intermediary sales happen, how the production bought here is sold abroad. Their mode of operation did not seem efficient to me. I started to study about it and thought about a model of marketplace, I wondered if that would possibly work properly to the exporting scenario of açai and other products. I figured it out that there was an opportunity to add value to both parts”.Even though there are many productive chains participating in the Amazon bioeconomy, all of them face the same problem, says Rodrigo, because the producer has the expertise ‘in production’, not ‘in selling’ or financial management. This evidence, according to the CEO, impairs the commerce, that is why they are always behind . So, the market tool has a gigantic potential to add value to the region. This model of business is going to work for exporting and for the local market, says the co-founder. Thus, producers will find new suppliers more easily and will get a clearer process of commerce.&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>"I think our forest brings many challenges, but entrepreneurship is just like that: the companies exist to solve problems” -&nbsp;Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira, Co-founder and CEO of Directto.</blockquote>&nbsp;“It is a differential touch to the Amazon, because this regional bioeconomy community of producers is going to economically evolve. This is going to be a very good thing for us to be able to develop not only the productive chains, but also keep the forest standing, which is the concept of the products from the Amazon. So, it has a great social, economic and ecologic impact. It is important to create sustainable ideas, which value the Amazon culture. I think our forest brings many challenges, but entrepreneurship is just like that: the companies exist to solve problems”.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Partnership creates ecosystem to startup acceleration&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;All these projects are part of&nbsp; Associação Paraense de Inovação e Tecnologia (Açai Valley) [Innovation and Technology Association from Pará], acting since 2019 in Pará, aiming at gathering entrepreneur ideas. The initiative was born from the necessity of discussing innovation and entrepreneurship in the state. Currently, the entity holds about 200 mapped startups, including about 420 members. Last week, O Liberal Group and Açai Valley agreed on a partnership to create the LibVenture, the first ecosystem of startups acceleration in the North connected to a group of communication. The goal is to enhance, encourage and value the environment of innovation in the companies.&nbsp;&nbsp;<blockquote>"An ecosystem of innovation needs active strong actors, and a lot of collaboration and union among them, so that the startups may emerge, develop themselves and grow up" -&nbsp;Alexandre Bezerra, production engineer and also an agribusiness technician.</blockquote>&nbsp;The idea, according to Aline Viana, market director of the Liberal Group, is to promote the idea of ‘innovation’ more and more. The partnership with Açai Valley is going to expand this space. “The objective is to bring the innovation ecosystem as much as possible into the group. Nowadays, there are plenty of possibilities here in Pará and&nbsp; a lot of startups still do not get enough visibility. The aim is to bring this concept and to invest in innovation in 2022. The Açai Valley is the main association of startups in the state and we want to strengthen this relationship with them”.Some of these projects support the association with mentorship to the beginner startups, sharing some experiences and helping to develop new ideas in our region, such as Amachains. “An ecosystem of innovation needs active strong actors, and a lot of collaboration and union among them, so that the startups may emerge, develop themselves and grow up. The Açai Valley is like the “glue” that bonds all these actors. We think Açai Valley was indispensable to reach the results we have today, says Alexandre Bezerra.&nbsp;On the other hand, Jonas Cunha, from Biomimética, considers Açai Valley as a network of opportunities. “The association has great goals for the future, but currently it has been a place that works as a support net for the entrepreneurs in Pará and that helps in the communication process with various public and private actors. We are always sharing ideas about the market, pitching for investors and other things”, he comments.&nbsp;

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Empowerment of entrepreneurship leads startups to seek solutions to regional problems

Development of the Amazon stands on technological innovation

By land, water or air, the Armed Forces play a fundamental and strategic role in protecting the Amazon. To carry out this mission, one of the main obstacles is logistics. The continental distances of the region represent a chapter in itself in fighting against criminal actions and also in carrying out social activities. Usually, the population has no idea of ​​the daily and continuous anonymous work carried out by the Air Force, Army and Navy.The three corporations have distinct characteristics. But, for the best performance and success of the missions, they work together and also in partnership with other federal, state and municipal institutions. Although few people know about it, one of the tasks of the Brazilian Air Force is to transport human organs in cases of transplantation.Another interesting fact is that the 23rd Infantry Division of Jungle Brigade, in the municipality of Marabá, is one of the most out-and-out in the entire Brazilian Army. It is a ready-made force to act in any part of the national territory, and abroad. For 2020, the division has already received an extra mission: to qualify a company to be used in peace operations.Regarding the Navy, to have a thorough idea of ​​the work performed in the region, the land area under the responsibility of the Command of the 4th Naval District is equivalent to around 23% of the entire national territory. The maritime dimension, including the search and rescue area of jurisdiction, is around 2 million km².The military men of the Armed Forces have also played a decisive role in combating covid-19, especially in the most critical periods of the disease in the region. During the pandemic, for example, the Army carried out 2,419 disinfection procedures in different areas and also provided support for immunization, contributing with the logistics for the application of 380,000 vaccines.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_2_4dde43173c.webp" alt="image (2).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_2_4dde43173c.webp 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_2_4dde43173c.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_2_4dde43173c.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_2_4dde43173c.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Promotional material / Army</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Along the ‘Operation Covid’ and facing the mission to integrate the country, the Brazilian Air Force [FAB] performed 6,225 flight hours and transported 5,018 tons of cargo and 11,710 patients. This feat represented the equivalent of circling the earth 107 times.&nbsp;By air, FAB guarantees vaccine, food and transportation for patients and organs&nbsp;Located in Belém, the First Regional Air Command (I Comar) operates in Pará, Amapá and Maranhão. The commander, Air Brigadier Major Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, says that ‘defense’ is the primary action taken by the Air Force in the Amazon. “Our mission is to maintain the sovereignty of the airspace, but we also have other missions to integrate the national territory. We've been working in the Amazon for 80 years,” he says. Integration is performed, for example, by means of the transport of organs for transplantation and vaccines. “Now, during the Covid pandemic, we have been carrying a lot of oxygen cylinders. The presence of the Air Force gives citizens the certainty that the Brazilian State is present and that whatever they need, wherever they are, we will help”, guarantees Major-Brigadeiro Medeiros.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_4_d68218b037.webp" alt="image (4).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_4_d68218b037.webp 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_4_d68218b037.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_4_d68218b037.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_4_d68218b037.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>&nbsp;&nbsp;Air Force Brigadier Major&nbsp;Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros&nbsp;(Igor Mota / O Liberal)&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>According to the commander, the Armed Forces exist to protect the country. “We always carry out this mission of protecting the borders, intercepting illicit aircrafts that transport drugs, smuggling”, details the Brigadier-Major.One of the challenges we face, however, is having a place to land the aircrafts. “If there is not a landing field, we use a helicopter, or if there is no landing field, we build one. The Air Force works in such an obstinate way that, if there is a constraint, we try to overcome the obstacle in one way or another”, he says. Another challenge is the weather. “Not rarely, we want to get to a place, but we are not able to because of the weather. So, we wait until the next day. We persevere until the mission is accomplished, regardless of who is involved – to look for someone who is sick, to provide vaccine, to deliver food”, guarantees Medeiros.<blockquote>"Sometimes people want to put a division between civil and military society, but that doesn't exist. There is Brazilian society" - Maurício Augusto Silveira de Medeiros, Air Brigadier Major of the Air Force.</blockquote>In the Amazon, there is a rainy season and also a dry season. “Often, during the dry season, when the river is not navigable, the Air Force becomes in charge of delivering food, in addition to a series of other assistance services and few people are aware of it. It's not that we don't want to show it, but we don't need to be trumpeting what we're doing”, he says.To guarantee the protection of the Amazon, Brigadier-Major Medeiros says it is essential to have people who are really engaged in the work towards the development and protection of the country. “We are part of Brazilian society and our job is precisely to support this society in whatever it needs. Sometimes, people tend to put a divide between civil and military society, but there is no such thing. There is one Brazilian society”, he believes.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_2_424c1eeb37.webp" alt="image (2).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_2_424c1eeb37.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_2_424c1eeb37.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_2_424c1eeb37.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_2_424c1eeb37.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Promotional material</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;“With the motto 'Wings that protect the Country', the Air Force, wherever it is, will always be carrying out this protection work. ‘Wings’ because we fly and arrive fast and, consequently, we manage to do everything that is necessary. Society can and must count on us, because we will always protect the country”.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Air base in Belém</h2>&nbsp;At the Air Base in Belém, the commander, Colonel Aviator Ricardo Bevilaqua Mendes, explains that there are four main operational organizations. One of them is the First Air Transport Squadron, which sends ballot boxes, transports wounded people, vaccines, military personnel and representatives of Federal Organs, such as the Federal Police and Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis [IBAMA] and provides support to people who are under vulnerable conditions. There is also the Neptune Squadron, which has an aircraft whose main mission is to carry out maritime patrol and performs searches and reconnaissance over the national territory.<blockquote>"Covid was a major logistical operation. We deliver several oxygen cylinders, medicines. This was part of our work" -&nbsp;João Chalella Junior, Army general.</blockquote><h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Northern Military Command covers 20% of the national territory</h2>&nbsp;“The Army never stops. We must be able to accomplish any kind of mission”, guarantees the Northern Military Commander, Army General João Chalella Júnior. According to him, the Amazon is so important to Brazil that, previously, there was only the Amazon Military Command in the region, which was responsible to cover the Western and Eastern sides of the territory. “Due to the strategic importance and some differences between the “two Amazons”, the Northern Military Command (CMN) was inaugurated, in 2013. The mission of the CMN is the defense and protection of the Eastern Amazon, explains Chalella.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_9_399bde1b57.webp" alt="image (9).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_9_399bde1b57.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_9_399bde1b57.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_9_399bde1b57.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_9_399bde1b57.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>North Military Commander, General of the Army João Chalella Junior&nbsp;(Marcio Nagano / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The General points out the work done by the institution at the border areas, the fight against the transnational illicit and actions to support many federal departments and institutions, besides helping in logistic, for instance, providing transportation. “The Army does not function alone. We work together with the Air Force, Navy, and with other institutions, such as IBAMA, FUNAI, among others. We are the “strong arm” and we have another side, which is the “friendly hand”, our motto. The Army’s friendly hand is quite effective. There are also other operations to support indigenous communities”, he says. Furthermore, he highlights the Army help to the Civil Defense, for example, during the flooding seasons in Marabá, when hundreds of residents are affected.Chalella emphasizes that among some important actions, there is the “Agata Operation”, at the border extension; the “Verde Brazil Operation”, which fights against deforestation and illegal mining; and the “Bailique Operation”, aimed at helping municipalities and civil institutions to storage, to board and to distribute water for the residents of the Bailique archipelago, in Amapá state, where there is shortage of clean water during this time of the year, because there is a salinization phenomenon in the waters of the Amazon river, caused by the dry weather.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_10_82e24bc47b.webp" alt="image (10).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_10_82e24bc47b.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_10_82e24bc47b.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_10_82e24bc47b.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_10_82e24bc47b.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Promotional material / Army</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The main problem to carry out that kind of mission in the Amazon is the transportation. “There are some roads that are inaccessible during the whole year and the distances traveled are pretty large. For instance, there was a unit operating 1,400 km away from the headquarter, so, during the actions, we have to integrate all the modals, including helicopters, whenever necessary”, he says. According to the General, the pandemic did not stop the actions of the Army. “We are always ready for the extremely hard missions. The covid was a great logistic operation. We delivered many oxygen cylinders and medicines. It was part of our work”, he highlights.Chalella points out that, in order to face the challenges to ensure the defense and protection of the Eastern Amazon, it is essential firstly to provide training for the troop. “For the defense and protection of our Eastern Amazon, we need equipment, resources and well-trained people, ready to step in anytime. “Strong arm and friendly hand” working to guarantee the sovereignty, laws, order, and defense of the country, but we also have to be ready to help the population, working together with other institutions here in the region”, he affirms.The Northern Military Command encompasses the states of Pará, Amapá and North of Tocantins, covering 20% of the national territory.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Command of the 4th Naval District: fight against the environmental and transborder crimes</h2>&nbsp;Some of the missions carried out by the 4th Naval District (Com4ºDN) include actions such as, preventing environmental and transborder crimes, in ocean and river areas; implementing and monitoring the enforcement of the laws and regulations in Brazilian Jurisdictional Waters, in the Continental Shelf and in high seas, besides naval inspection and patrolling, including cooperative actions with other government institutions, operating in the states of Amapá, Maranhão, Pará and Piauí. The 4th Command is responsible for the Eastern Amazon area, which is based in Belém. The Command of the 9th Naval District (Com9ºDN) is in charge for the Western Amazon area.According to the Corvette Captain Jean Bergamaschi, in charge for the Training and Communication subsection of the 4th Naval District, the most important mission is to train and use the Navy Force, Air-Naval Force and the Marines to contribute to protect the country, to ensure the constitutional powers, the law, the order, and to support the foreign policy.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_11_b3495fbcea.webp" alt="image (11).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_11_b3495fbcea.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_11_b3495fbcea.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_11_b3495fbcea.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_11_b3495fbcea.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Corvette Captain&nbsp;Jean Bergamaschi&nbsp; (Marcio Nagano / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;In practice, riverine operations are carried out to guarantee the defense of the territory, besides actions to ensure the enforcement of the law and order, in cooperation with other government institutions, rescue operations, support to the search and rescue service in the area covered by the Com4ºDN, aiming at preserving the human life in the sea and in the rivers. Other kinds of operations are, for instance, social civic actions, focusing on humanitarian assistance and help to health actions in riverine communities, operations in partnership with other Navies, focusing on supporting the foreign policy.&nbsp;In 2021, the main actions were the patrols in rivers and seas; search and rescue operations, and the Agata operation, which aimed at intensifying the presence of the state at the land and sea borders. Bergamaschi also pointed out the “Operação Verde Brasil 2” [Green Brazil Operation 2], to fight deforestation, fires and illegal mining, another operation was “Samaúma”, with the purpose of helping to prevent fires and illegal deforestation in the Amazon; lastly, “Pão da Vida operation”, focusing on reducing the problems faced by the marajoara population under social vulnerability conditions, which was increased during the covid-19 pandemic.The Corvette Captain Jean Bergamaschi states that one of the main problems is the large extension of area covered in the operations, and the complexity about them, since they include both sea and river areas, each one has certain specificities. “There are around 5,500 km of navigable rivers. Those dimensions demand a complex logistic support, proper equipment and highly trained people”, he explains.

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Army, Navy and Air Force carry out integrated actions towards the overcoming of continental distances, guaranteeing the fight against crime and humanitarian aid to the peoples of the region

Order and Strategy in Protecting the Amazon

Debates involving oil exploration in the Brazilian Equatorial Margin have encompassed energy transition, environmental and social impacts and, more recently, the capacity to generate employment and income. The region comprises the coast of Amapá and extends over 2,200 kilometers to Rio Grande do Norte, covering three states in the Amazon: Amapá, Pará and Maranhão. In all these states, the expectation is that 162,248 jobs will be created with the start of oil research activities, with a total increase of R$32.3 billion to the local Gross Domestic Product (GDP).The data were obtained by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), via the National Industry Observatory. In Pará alone, the survey estimates that 51,706 jobs will be created, providing a 6.2% increase in GDP - the equivalent of R$10.7 billion. Figures were based on the 2019 regional accounts system by Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) [Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics], to isolate possible distortions due to the covid-19 pandemic. In this scenario, the states will be responsible for producing the machines and equipment necessary for production, requiring labor force.The CNI also points out that 326,049 new jobs shall be created in all territories that are part of the Margin, allowing economic development and ensuring security in the energy transition. Petrobras – the company that will initially be responsible for the activities – is betting that the reserves will guarantee oil production levels from the 2030s onwards, in addition to serving for decarbonization. Therefore, the estimate is that 49% of exploratory investments will be allocated by 2027, totaling US$6 billion. There will also be 16 wells drilled on the Margin during the period.<h1>Expectation</h1>In the beginning of April, Petrobras announced the existence of oil in the Equatorial Margin had been confirmed. The discovery was in the deep waters of the Potiguar Basin, in Anhangá exploratory well, located between the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte, being the second confirmation in 2024. The news generates expectations for the productive sector of Pará, one of the states exploring that range. For Alex Carvalho, president of the Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Pará (Fiepa) [Federation of Industries of the State of Pará], “the activity represents the opportunity for us to finally equalize differences that have historically relegated us to conditions of backwardness”.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Alex_Carvalho_Presidente_da_FIEPA_2_0b4413d771.jpg" alt="Alex Carvalho_ Presidente da FIEPA (2).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Alex_Carvalho_Presidente_da_FIEPA_2_0b4413d771.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Alex_Carvalho_Presidente_da_FIEPA_2_0b4413d771.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Alex_Carvalho_Presidente_da_FIEPA_2_0b4413d771.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Alex_Carvalho_Presidente_da_FIEPA_2_0b4413d771.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>For Alex Carvalho, president of Fiepa, “the activity represents the opportunity for us to finally equalize differences that have historically relegated us to conditions of backwardness” (Image: João Barros / Fiepa)</figcaption></figure>“This expectation increases when we realize that, in other regions, oil exploration has brought great socioeconomic benefits, boosting job generation and income, in addition to other positive impacts arising from royalties, which are reverted to strategic areas for regional development, with improvements in infrastructure, sanitation, education and health. When we see the progress of studies in other areas of the Equatorial Margin, we become anxious to know when our turn will come”, he adds.<h1>Job generation will make the state advance economically and socially</h1>The more than 51,000 jobs that CNI estimates will be created in Pará should boost the state's entire economy, in various sectors, stimulating business emergences, strengthening local suppliers and internalizing purchases, as Fiepa points out. As a result, the impacts of the oil exploration activity are expected to be vectors for the economic and social development of the region. “The oil industry’s production chain is quite extensive and should generate direct and indirect jobs in several areas, whether during the project implementation phase or during the plant’s operation”, says Alex Carvalho.The job openings that oil exploration should bring to the state range from positions in technical areas, such as industrial maintenance, welding, marine engine mechanics and electricians, to higher education opportunities – It means that areas such as engineering, geology, technology areas, safety and environment, with specialized labor to work in the exploration, production or refining of the material will be potentialized. “As well as job opportunities in the commerce and services sectors, with a boost in the supply of accommodation, transport, equipment, food, clothing and many others”, adds Alex.<h1>Research</h1>Research, furthermore, still has chances of being implemented in order to meet the demands of oil exploration. “Another expectation is that study and research centers in oil exploration will be created to train local professionals, integrate knowledge and develop sustainable practices for fair and inclusive development of the industry. Moreover, in Pará and throughout the Amazon, there are universities that can fully contribute to the academic qualification of necessary professionals for oil activity”, adds the president of Fiepa.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Foto_Acervo_Foresea_f2b3e63155.jpeg" alt="Foto Acervo Foresea.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto_Acervo_Foresea_f2b3e63155.jpeg 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Foto_Acervo_Foresea_f2b3e63155.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto_Acervo_Foresea_f2b3e63155.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Foto_Acervo_Foresea_f2b3e63155.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>The job openings that oil exploration should bring to the state range from positions in technical areas, such as industrial maintenance, welding, marine engine mechanics and electricians, to higher education opportunities (Agência Petrobras)</figcaption></figure><h1>Local struggles need to be overcome</h1>In order to achieve the development estimated by the Federation in the various sectors, some struggles need to be overcome in the region. Alex Carvalho explains that the state's infrastructure still needs repairs to meet operational needs, delaying the growth of activities, such as ports and maritime activities. “The training of local technical and specialized work labor to meet the demands of the project and guarantee the hiring of professionals from the region itself. We will also need investments to qualify local suppliers.”“The support of the public sector in the release of subsidies, such as Nova Indústria Brasil and Brasil Mais Produtivo, is very important for the renovation and modernization of the state’s industrial park, as well as for the acquisition of technology, as a way of boosting verticalization of production, so that the region can provide the equipment and inputs necessary for the enterprise. Thus, it is also important that industries seek to access these programs and incentives that have been made available by the Federal Government”, emphasizes Carvalho.<h1>Training</h1>The first steps towards training quality work labor to meet demands that may arise with the Equatorial Margin have already been taken. At the Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (Senai) [National Industrial Learning Service], for example, professionals are being trained to work directly to support the operation. Industrial maintenance, welding, marine engine mechanics, electricians and metal mechanics are the areas. Furthermore, when the activities actually begin, it is expected that specific courses will be offered, such as oil and natural gas operators. “The Fiepa System always gets ahead of large projects that are installed in Pará, identifying demands and qualifying people”, says Alex Carvalho.<h1>Sector needs a wide variety of professionals</h1>In the same perspective, the training of professionals to work in the oil industry can be divided into two levels, as explained by Professor João Cruz, head of the Institute of Geosciences (IG) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA): post-high school, as a Oil and Gas Technologist, and postgraduate education, lato-sensu or stricto-sensu, offered by postgraduate programs accredited by the Ministry of Education (MEC). “Expectations are positive for people graduated in this area, since this sector needs a very wide variety of professionals”, he says.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/foto_Acervo_Petrobras_ba11015f91.jpg" alt="foto Acervo Petrobras.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_foto_Acervo_Petrobras_ba11015f91.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_foto_Acervo_Petrobras_ba11015f91.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_foto_Acervo_Petrobras_ba11015f91.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_foto_Acervo_Petrobras_ba11015f91.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Professionals in geology, geophysics, engineering, economics, law, administration, physics, chemistry, oceanography, meteorology, computer sciences are natural candidates to embrace one of the careers in the oil and gas sector (Agência Petrobras)</figcaption></figure><h1>Areas</h1>The professor highlights that the areas that can cover these vacancies are extensive: geology, geophysics, engineering, economics, law, administration, physics, chemistry, oceanography, meteorology, computer science are natural candidates to embrace one of the careers in the oil and gas sector. “At the current stage of work on the Equatorial Margin, we can say that several exploratory studies are still needed, as most of the reserves found so far still need to be validated, in order to gain market viability”, says João.“In this case, the most urgent are: geologist, geophysicist, petroleum engineer, well drilling engineer, chemist, petrophysicist, aircraft and sea pilots, platform logistics manager, regulation manager, project manager and economic analyst. Technologists in different expertises are also requested,” he adds.<h1>UFPA already offers a course focusing on the Equatorial Margin</h1>Professor João Cruz is coordinator of a specialization course, offered by UFPA, which focuses on work carried out on the Equatorial Margin. The second edition of the classes will start in August and will teach the application of interpretation techniques based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). “We can train specialists with skills in analyzing geological and geophysical data both on the surface and in wells, with the aim of characterizing environments suitable for the generation, storage and exploration of oil and gas”, highlights Cruz.“This training is carried out in the EAD (online learning) format, lasting 18 months. Subjects with content focused on the energy transition and environmental sustainability are part of the context of this study. In the future, we plan to also offer this course as Master's in Sedimentary Basin Analysis with AI. In the first edition, 120 places were offered, 30% of which were reserved to cover the quota system, which we intend to repeat in the next offer”, says the professor.Impacts that the Equatorial Margin can bring to the Amazon- In ParáAdditional value to GDP of R$10.7 billion, an increase of 6.2%Creation of 51,706 jobs- In AmapáAdditional value to GDP of R$10.7 billion, an increase of 61.2%Creation of 53,916 jobs- In MaranhãoAdditional value to GDP of R$10.9 billion, an increase of 12.2%Creation of 56,626 jobsSource: CNI

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Training challenges still need to be overcome for economic and social development to become a reality

Oil exploration can generate 162 thousand jobs in the Amazon

Doing research in the Amazon means that, in order to present results that bring development and a better life to the population that is part of the biome, there is a need for investment to deal with the conditions in which the institutions focused on in this work are inserted. By 2024, for example, at least R$246 million are needed in resources to be transferred to just three of the various centers for the production of knowledge in the region: the Bionorte Network, the Guamá Science and Technology Park (PCT) and the Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG).There are several sources of funding, including the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), which has a budget of R$418 million for the whole of the Amazon this year. Although the amount is 81% higher than that made available in 2023, it is still not enough to fill all the gaps in research in the region. The devaluation suffered by professionals, the lack of equipment, unmaintained structures, a shortfall in incentive grants and outdated laboratories continue to be part of the institutions' routine and put the brakes on projects that could contribute to the growth of the biome.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_da_UFPA_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_7809c65059.jpeg" alt="20240428XATUAMAZONPESQUISA - Alunos de Biotecnologia da UFPA - Rutiléia Paiva e Luíz Augusto - Foto Carmem Helena.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_da_UFPA_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_7809c65059.jpeg 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_da_UFPA_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_7809c65059.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_da_UFPA_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_7809c65059.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_da_UFPA_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_7809c65059.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>At least R$246 million are needed in resources to be transferred to just three of the various centers for the production of knowledge in the region: the Bionorte Network, the Guamá Science and Technology Park (PCT) and the Emílio Goeldi Museum of Pará (MPEG) (Image: Carmem Helena / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>Compared to other parts of Brazil, the Amazon has also suffered from the differences, despite being the most biodiverse region in the world and home to the largest rainforest on the planet. Data from the Special Secretariat for Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic and the MCTI show that, in 2011, the North had 4.5% of Brazil's doctors, a figure that fell to 3.2% in 2019. Between 2006 and 2022, the article Brazilian Public Funding for biodiversity research in the Amazon shows that the biome received only 10% of federal subsidies to fund studies.<h1>Scholarships</h1>Recently, Bionorte, a scientific research network created in 2008, which brings together 43 institutions across the nine states of the Legal Amazon - Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Roraima, Pará, Maranhão, Amapá, Tocantins and Mato Grosso - was awarded a 100% increase in grants from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). The incentive is part of the Ministry of Education's (MEC) initiatives to promote research in the country. By 2023, R$218.2 million had been earmarked for postgraduate studies in the region.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Whats_App_Image_2024_04_25_at_15_32_54_20767ff855.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp Image 2024-04-25 at 15.32.54.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Whats_App_Image_2024_04_25_at_15_32_54_20767ff855.jpeg 167w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Whats_App_Image_2024_04_25_at_15_32_54_20767ff855.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Whats_App_Image_2024_04_25_at_15_32_54_20767ff855.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Whats_App_Image_2024_04_25_at_15_32_54_20767ff855.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Our role is very important in terms of trying to train high quality human resources, at doctoral level, to boost the socio-economic development of the region," says Sandro (Image: Personal file)</figcaption></figure>In total, there are 7,200 master's, doctoral and post-doctoral scholarships for the Amazonian states in strategic and institutional programs, but entities like Bionorte have not yet had all their students covered, another factor that could hinder research: the network has 446 post-graduate students in all its units, 108 of whom receive incentives from Capes. However, Sandro Percário, the institution's general coordinator, says that the increase received has already reached those who are not employed or do not receive any financial resources. “This is very important because of the distances in the Amazon.”<blockquote>"Our students have to travel in canoes and boats to arrive a few days later in the capital where [the course] is offered. Until February 2022, we only had 45 Capes scholarship quotas for a contingent of around 440 PhD students. This represented 10% of the total. In 2023, there was a rearrangement and Bionorte had 54. Still, far short of our needs at the time. Our role is very important in terms of trying to train high quality human resources, at doctoral level, to boost the socio-economic development of the region," adds Sandro.</blockquote><h1>Biodiversity and bioeconomy to strengthen the Amazon</h1>The focus of Bionorte's work is the integration of Amazonian biodiversity and biotechnology. The result of the studies is the production of bioproducts and bioprocesses that can benefit and favor society in the region. "For example, the development of a new medicine, a cosmetic, something in this way that benefits and generates economic resources from these products and processes. We are also concerned about protecting Amazonian communities and this is done through liaison with these people," explains the network's general coordinator.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8xgjlu"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; "><iframe src="https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x8xgjlu" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay"></iframe></div></div></figure>Over a three-year period, Bionorte would need R$600 million to leverage these ongoing initiatives and unblock those that have stalled due to a lack of resources. The investment would go towards the infrastructure of research facilities in the region. "This amount would allow for the modernization of more than 240 laboratories in 43 institutions in the nine states of the Legal Amazon, as well as the acquisition of research supplies, in order to guarantee the completion of several projects that have stalled and the completion of others over the next three years," he emphasizes.<h1>Scarcity</h1>According to Sandro, last time the institution received direct investment was between 2011 and 2013. "We have a great lack of resources, although there are several projects, this is very little compared to what is needed. In 2019, the Ministry of Science and Technology invested around R$12.5 billion in the Southeast. In the north, R$800 million, less than 8%. That was all the resources for the Amazon region. The resources don't come here, which is why our research laboratories are lacking. If they did, they would ensure that we reached the level of the centers in the Southeast," he adds.<h1>Processes need results that reach the population</h1>The lack of resources coming into the Amazon is also a reality faced by PCT Guamá. The space was the first to start operating in the north of Brazil and its main objective is to stimulate applied research and innovative and sustainable entrepreneurship. There are more than 40 companies, 60 associates and 12 laboratories dedicated to developing processes and products. For 2024, the institution expects to begin construction of the Sustainability Space Building, estimated at R$11 million, and needs a further R$6 million for other necessary upgrades.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Aluna_de_Biotecnolgia_da_UFPA_Deborah_Terra_Foto_Carmem_Helena_2_ee35b4d659.jpeg" alt="20240428XATUAMAZONPESQUISA - Aluna de Biotecnolgia da UFPA - Deborah Terra - Foto Carmem Helena 2.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Aluna_de_Biotecnolgia_da_UFPA_Deborah_Terra_Foto_Carmem_Helena_2_ee35b4d659.jpeg 235w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Aluna_de_Biotecnolgia_da_UFPA_Deborah_Terra_Foto_Carmem_Helena_2_ee35b4d659.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Aluna_de_Biotecnolgia_da_UFPA_Deborah_Terra_Foto_Carmem_Helena_2_ee35b4d659.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Aluna_de_Biotecnolgia_da_UFPA_Deborah_Terra_Foto_Carmem_Helena_2_ee35b4d659.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>There are more than 40 companies, 60 associates and 12 laboratories dedicated to developing processes and products (Image: Carmem Helena / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>Milksom Campelo, manager of Business Prospecting, Transfer and Technology at the Guamá Foundation, which manages the PCT, believes that, in fact, the investments that are being made in science and technology are not sufficient for the day-to-day reality. "We live in a context in which there is a growing need for constant investment. Why? The science, technology and innovation institute has done a great job in the process of technological development, but this process is only valid when it can reach the end, can be transferred and applied," he points out."When it reaches this level, it begins to generate changes in the operating profile of companies in the North and Amazon region, which start to produce more concisely and sustainably, generating high-impact products and solutions. We can achieve all this through qualified investments," says Campelo. "Historically, these investments do happen. We have them at state, federal, and private levels... But even today it's a challenge, a great tool with more than 40 companies, 11 laboratories, 11,000 people circulating daily, it needs constant investment," he adds.<h1>Challenges</h1>Milksom lists some of the central challenges faced by the PCT in carrying out and maintaining the park's research: the lack of open processes focusing on the specific characteristics of the Amazon, the difficulties in integrating the productive sector and studies into technologies and innovation. "At the start of operations, we received a large amount of funding. Millions were invested in equipment. Today, we need to maintain this equipment and the physical spaces. For this reason, constant investment is essential," he said.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_Deborah_Terra_Vanessa_Mescouto_Professor_Luiz_Adriano_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_139_4f6df84797.jpeg" alt="20240428XATUAMAZONPESQUISA - Alunos de Biotecnologia - Deborah Terra,Vanessa Mescouto,Professor Luíz Adriano,Rutiléia Paiva e Luíz Augusto - Foto Carmem Helena (139).jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_Deborah_Terra_Vanessa_Mescouto_Professor_Luiz_Adriano_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_139_4f6df84797.jpeg 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_Deborah_Terra_Vanessa_Mescouto_Professor_Luiz_Adriano_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_139_4f6df84797.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_Deborah_Terra_Vanessa_Mescouto_Professor_Luiz_Adriano_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_139_4f6df84797.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Alunos_de_Biotecnologia_Deborah_Terra_Vanessa_Mescouto_Professor_Luiz_Adriano_Rutileia_Paiva_e_Luiz_Augusto_Foto_Carmem_Helena_139_4f6df84797.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>The Amazonian Oils Laboratory (LOA) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) is one of the spaces that operates and provides services within the Guamá PCT (Image: Carmem Helena / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>"We guarantee quality in research. It's also important that we understand that, in addition to these structural and laboratory investments, there is a strategic awareness. It's important that laboratories don't just reflect physical spaces, but are seen as key instruments for transforming regional development through innovation and technology. The more technology and research we have, the more security we will have for our means of production," Milksom concludes.<h1>PCT laboratory has equipment out of order</h1>The Amazonian Oils Laboratory (LOA) at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) is one of the spaces that operates and provides services within the Guamá PCT. Professor Luís Adriano Nascimento is the site's vice-coordinator and, according to him, the annual budget deficit is hampering the operation of some of the equipment. "We've received around R$210,000 [in the last three years], which is an average of R$70,000 a year from projects we've approved in public calls. We would need more, we have out-of-order equipment," he laments.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Professor_e_Vice_Coordenador_do_Local_da_UFPA_Luiz_Adriano_Nascimento_Foto_Carmem_Helena_39c0d906fd.jpeg" alt="20240428XATUAMAZONPESQUISA - Professor e Vice Coordenador do Local da UFPA - Luíz Adriano Nascimento - Foto Carmem Helena.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Professor_e_Vice_Coordenador_do_Local_da_UFPA_Luiz_Adriano_Nascimento_Foto_Carmem_Helena_39c0d906fd.jpeg 235w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Professor_e_Vice_Coordenador_do_Local_da_UFPA_Luiz_Adriano_Nascimento_Foto_Carmem_Helena_39c0d906fd.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Professor_e_Vice_Coordenador_do_Local_da_UFPA_Luiz_Adriano_Nascimento_Foto_Carmem_Helena_39c0d906fd.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240428_XATUAMAZONPESQUISA_Professor_e_Vice_Coordenador_do_Local_da_UFPA_Luiz_Adriano_Nascimento_Foto_Carmem_Helena_39c0d906fd.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“Ideally, we should not only have grants for students, but also resources to buy and repair equipment”, says Luiz (Image: Carmem Helena / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>The amount of private investment that LOA has received, also in the last three years, is R$150,000. According to the vice-coordinator, much more could be done by the laboratory, but the high cost of maintaining equipment is a difficulty. “This equipment would be important to advance research even further, to innovate the generation of new products, new bioplastics, for example, new materials, other types of applications aimed at developing sustainable products. All this could be much more, if we had more resources.”According to him, the main difficulty in continuing research in the Amazon is the lack of more state calls. "Ideally, we should not only have grants for students, but also resources to buy and repair equipment. This is one of the great difficulties we have today, the lack of resources for acquiring new equipment and for maintaining this material," adds Luís.<h1>Goeldi museum</h1>MPEG's budget deficit of R$15 million, the second largest in Brazil's history, is hampering its ability to make ends meet. According to Nilson Gabas Júnior, the institution's director, the ideal annual investment would be R$30 million, which would be used to produce more knowledge, products for the population, scientific education and human resources. However, only half of this has come in. "We're not able to pay our fixed costs. We've had almost two million euros cut since the Annual Budget Law was approved," he points out.The director expects that these expenses, relating to security, payment of contractors, cleaning, scientific exhibitions and energy, will be paid by September. The museum has been receiving a fractional amount each month to cope with all the demands. "It's been quite difficult to work from the perspective that we can't maintain our outsourcing contracts, and I'm not even in a position to conduct research. We know that there are areas of knowledge and areas in which you need to produce knowledge specifically," laments Gabas.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Nilson_Gabas_Jr_foto_carmem_Helena_12d324973d.jpeg" alt="Nilson Gabas Jr. foto carmem Helena.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Nilson_Gabas_Jr_foto_carmem_Helena_12d324973d.jpeg 235w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Nilson_Gabas_Jr_foto_carmem_Helena_12d324973d.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Nilson_Gabas_Jr_foto_carmem_Helena_12d324973d.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Nilson_Gabas_Jr_foto_carmem_Helena_12d324973d.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“It's been quite difficult to work from the perspective that we can't maintain our outsourcing contracts, and I'm not even in a position to conduct research”, laments Gabas (Image: Carmem Helena / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure><h1>Public policies</h1>Despite the lack of necessary resources, Nilson points out that good results are being seen in the research carried out by MPEG. One of them is a partnership with the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Florestal e da Biodiversidade (Ideflor-Bio) [Institute for Forestry and Biodiversity Development] to update the list of endangered species in Pará. "Monitoring the list of endangered species in Pará is something that has to be done at most every four years. It hasn't been done for almost 14 years. So, at least now, in the context of the flora component, we've already signed the contract, the transfers are already being made, and the research is already starting," he says.

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Outdated laboratories, unmaintained structures, a shortage of incentive grants and professional devaluation are some of the difficulties faced by those who produce knowledge in the biome

Research needs to overcome challenges in the Amazon region

The peculiarities surrounding Belém, host city of the 30th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 30), should serve as attractions for hundreds of tourists who will visit the capital of Pará. During the two weeks of the mega-event, in 2025, the eyes of the world will be on the city. Whether for its cuisine, history, museums, islands, or for the importance the Amazon biome has been gaining in the international context, the metropolis will be in evidence for people from different countries. To serve this audience and, more than that, leave a legacy that transforms the lives of people in the region, it is necessary to overcome some obstacles.From a tourism perspective, events such as COP 30 are considered agents of urban transformation and changes in existing models. This means that the requalification of spaces, their forms and functions, should aim at the socio-environmental development of a given region. This is expected to happen in Belém. The city has some structural issues that, according to researchers in the area, need to be taken into account so that tourism becomes indeed an attractive activity. The list includes matters such as macro-drainage services, implementation of collective public transport that meets the needs, creation of parks, restoration of igarapés [creeks] and improvement in collection of solid waste.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_0029_b5252570a7.jpg" alt="Belem Para Foto Tarso Sarraf_0029.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_0029_b5252570a7.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_0029_b5252570a7.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_0029_b5252570a7.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_0029_b5252570a7.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Hundreds of tourists will visit the capital of Pará during the two weeks of the mega-event, in 2025 (Image: Tarso Sarraf / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>The lack of beds available for lodging in the capital of Pará is also a point that needs attention. Currently, the city has 13 thousand units available. According to Sindicato dos Hotéis, Restaurantes, Bares e Similares do Pará (SHRBS) [Union of Hotels, Restaurants, Bars and Similar Businesses of Pará], at least 40 thousand more are necessary to meet the expected contingent of the COP. Silvia Cruz, professor and director of Faculdade de Turismo da Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) [College of Tourism of the Federal University of Pará], says that the solution of this problem should be seen as priority by the Government. For her, alternatives such as cruise ships anchored in Belém can be effective. “We understand that the COP is a very important moment for the population.”"Then, through a previous experience, we have the perception that another alternative could be the so-called homestays. A system is created, the population is summoned, of course, with a process of clarification, awareness raising, which could give support to these people so that they are able to receive visitors in their homes. We know that the audience of the COP is diverse. We will have the highest diplomacy, but we will also have teachers, researchers, students, rural workers, peasants, trade unionists, traditional populations. Those people who may also come here might not be willing to stay in a luxury hotel; they will want to experience the reality of the Amazon”, says Silvia.<h1>Education</h1>Given that tourism mobilizes not only the sector, but everything around it, as indirect parts of the economy, investing in education to improve this process, its dynamics, and to leave an extra legacy of the COP, has been one of the focuses while preparing for the event. It is in this sense that the Faculdade de Turismo da Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) began to promote training of students in a more specific way so that, in addition to presenting technical knowledge, they can propose better ways of thinking about the region because they are the region’s protagonists. “Why a COP in the Amazon? How important is that? It is not only to improve our structure, but what is its legacy?", asks the teacher.Listen to the podcast:<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liberal-amazon/embed/episodes/Tourism-at-COP-30-needs-to-leave-structural--cultural-and-environmental-legacies-e2ik7kg/a-ab6fcjj" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><h1>Tourism legacy of COP 30 must go beyond physical structures</h1>According to Silvia, this awareness, along with the other factors brought by mega-events-such as the Conference of the Parties, work as subjective impacts for the region and allow local residents to establish their own propositions. "So, let's say that promoting knowledge, strengthening sociocultural ties, thinking about a project of another Amazon, but thought of by the population that lives here [is part of the Amazon]. We live it here, we know our rivers, our forest, so we don't need interlocutors; we have to be involved in this and we will only be able to get involved through training,” she adds.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_7_eccc169e09.JPG" alt="20240421XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO - Professora Silvia Helena Ribeiro Cruz - Foto Thiago Gomes (7).JPG" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_7_eccc169e09.JPG 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_7_eccc169e09.JPG 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_7_eccc169e09.JPG 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_7_eccc169e09.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>"We live it here, we know our rivers, our forest, so we don't need interlocutors; we have to be involved in this and we will only be able to get involved through training", says Silvia (Image: Thiago Gomes / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>"This legacy cannot be thought of only in terms of physical structure. We need to think of and long for a legacy that also results in changes, in the transformation of people's lives. So, COP 30 in Belém. But what do these people who come here want from the Amazon? What do they want to contribute to the local population so that we have a process of change in the social context, in the cultural context, in the environmental context? The structuring legacy is important, but the cultural legacy, the social legacy, our transformation are also important. We need them to see this Amazon, to see the populations that live here. We do want the COP to leave behind physical and structuring legacies; but we also want social and cultural legacies”, emphasizes Silvia.<h1>Sustainable tourism</h1>The type of tourism that the COP will bring, the so-called mass tourism, may not be the best option for a space like the Amazon. As Silvia points out, the impacts that this activity brings are big. However, the way out may be to stimulate sustainability within this process. “Based on this principle, it is clear that there are some elements of sustainability that need to be considered. One of the main ones is the protagonism of local populations. How is this tourism? First, let it be thought of by the locals. We cannot be naive to think that one can enter the market by oneself. We have to create channels of interaction with the market as well.”Decent working conditions, clean drinking water, reuse of rainwater, getting rid of the use of plastic materials and straws are ideas that can promote sustainability and attract tourists. "Then, from this concept of sustainable tourism, we will have other typologies, such as ecotourism, which talks about sustainability. I will have community-based tourism, which mobilizes communities in a more controlled format, but generates income because people who want this type of tourism are willing to pay whatever price is charged for the use of those resources. Many tourists who choose a route that promotes this sustainable footprint do nothing outside of this concept because it is a principle”, she concludes.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_23_3bdb934cfb.JPG" alt="20240421XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO - Professora Silvia Helena Ribeiro Cruz - Foto Thiago Gomes (23).JPG" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_23_3bdb934cfb.JPG 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_23_3bdb934cfb.JPG 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_23_3bdb934cfb.JPG 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240421_XATUAMAZONCOPTURISMO_Professora_Silvia_Helena_Ribeiro_Cruz_Foto_Thiago_Gomes_23_3bdb934cfb.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Decent working conditions, clean drinking water, reuse of rainwater, getting rid of the use of plastic materials and straws are ideas that can promote sustainability and attract tourists (Image: Thiago Gomes / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure><h1>COP 30 municipal committee says city will be ready for event</h1>The structural challenges surrounding the preparation of Belém to receive both country delegations and tourists during the COP 30 have raised doubts about the city's capacity to host the event. However, Cláudio Puty, coordinator of the Comitê Municipal da COP [Municipal Committee of the COP], says the capital is moving in the right direction to host the Conference. “The task, from January to now, was to show that our works are committed to the Federal Government and will be concluded. All public biddings were carried out for the remodeling of Ver-o-Peso and the work has already started there; progress has been made in the São Brás Market and, in September, we shall launch the bidding for Parque São Joaquim - it will be an important change at the entrance to the city”, he says.The requalification of the Historical Center of the capital is also a priority. Cláudio points out that the remodeling of Praça das Mercês, in the Commercial area of Belém, will be a space to promote the bioeconomy and allocate startups that advocate for the standing forest. “Every work and project we are carrying out is intended to leave a legacy. The reform of the Ver-o-Peso is crucial to improve the quality of the fairgrounds' workers; the São Brás Market was abandoned, but it will now become a tourist spot. São Joaquim, a linear park, will transform the relationship of the people of the Barreiro and Sacramenta neighborhoods with the river and will allow everyone to benefit", he adds.<h1>Inbound tourism</h1>Along with the works, an inbound [receptive] tourism plan is prepared, which involves requests to the Ministério do Turismo [Ministry of Tourism] for demands related to signaling. The goal is to make access to Belém's places more inclusive for visitors. "The signs in the city are old, we need mobility adequacy, sidewalks, preparation of young people, taxi drivers and volunteers in linguistics. We will launch a language training program soon so that we can have the opportunity to learn the languages and mingle with so many outsiders who come here. After this phase of works, Belém will be better than it is now. It is a matter of time”, concludes Cláudio.<h1>Industry says it will not contribute to improving matters related to Hotels</h1>Belem's Hotel Sector's lack of future perspective is an obstacle for investments in the area aimed at increasing the number of beds for COP 30. The projection is that from 70 thousand to 85 thousand visitors will arrive in the city during the two weeks of the event. Fernando Soares, SHRBS legal advisor, comments that this scenario is due to an uncertain post-COP. "The COP takes 15 days. What happens afterwards?", he questions. "Belém has no tourist vocation, it has no beaches, mountains... Nothing is produced here”, adds the spokesman of the entity.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/fernando_soares_foto_thiago_gomes_f3484649d1.jpg" alt="fernando soares foto thiago gomes.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_fernando_soares_foto_thiago_gomes_f3484649d1.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_fernando_soares_foto_thiago_gomes_f3484649d1.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_fernando_soares_foto_thiago_gomes_f3484649d1.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_fernando_soares_foto_thiago_gomes_f3484649d1.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>"The COP takes 15 days. What happens afterwards?", he questions. "Belém has no tourist vocation, it has no beaches, mountains... Nothing is produced here”, adds the spokesman of the entity (Image: Thiago Gomes / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>Other factors, such as urban mobility, food and forms of payment are considered by the Union as determinants to solve the tourism issue for the COP. "Brazilians do not walk with money at hand, nor card; they pay more with PIX, which is a national invention. How are we going to solve this? Not all taxi drivers' machines, or restaurants, take international cards. About food, Belém is one of the gastronomic capitals of the country, but that does not imply that the French will eat maniçoba [a local dish] and will not feel sick. We have to train people in languages, informatics... So, there is a series of obstacles that the Government will have to overcome”, considers Fernando.<h1>Ministry wants legacy to attract national and international tourists</h1>The legacy intended by the Ministério do Turismo (MTur) [Ministry of Tourism] is to leave the capital of Pará - one of the main cities in the Amazon - prepared to receive national and international tourists. With this, as minister Celso Sabino reported to Liberal Amazon, the priorities range from the expansion of the domestic airline network to the increase in the number of hotel beds. "And the offer of qualification for the professionals who will receive visitors during the event, in order to guarantee the best tourist experience to everyone. I strongly believe in the legacy to be left to the city of Belém, to the state of Pará and to the entire Amazon region,” he emphasizes.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/celso_sabino_foto_ROBERTO_CASTRO_MTUR_e2d47a1e6a.jpg" alt="celso sabino foto ROBERTO CASTRO MTUR.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_celso_sabino_foto_ROBERTO_CASTRO_MTUR_e2d47a1e6a.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_celso_sabino_foto_ROBERTO_CASTRO_MTUR_e2d47a1e6a.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_celso_sabino_foto_ROBERTO_CASTRO_MTUR_e2d47a1e6a.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_celso_sabino_foto_ROBERTO_CASTRO_MTUR_e2d47a1e6a.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>The legacy intended by the Ministry of Tourism is to leave the capital of Pará - one of the main cities in the Amazon - prepared to receive national and international tourists (Image: Roberto Castro / MTur)</figcaption></figure>The connectivity of the region is still a challenge that must be tackled. The amount of people expected for the event should mean that the existing telephone network will not be enough. "That is why we are working hard, and I have no doubt that the COP 30 will be the best COP ever held and will leave an important legacy to our country. We have the Escola Nacional de Turismo [National School of Tourism] that will operate in our capital, which will change the threshold of Belém and of the entire Northern region in relation to other established destinations. Tourism is an important generator of employment and income and an effective means for promoting social inclusion, which is good for the whole world”, concludes Celso Sabino. &nbsp;

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Among public and private focuses, is the expansion of hotel beds and structuring of the city of Belém

Tourism at COP 30 needs to leave structural, cultural and environmental legacies

Imagine a 30-storey building in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. You won't find a typical big city building, but you will find a tree almost 90 meters tall. In 2022, researchers reached this giant during an expedition on the border between Pará and Amapá. The tree boasts the title of being the largest in Brazil and Latin America and the fourth largest in the world.The researchers' work began in 2019, when the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) carried out a study in the Amazon region to learn about the biome's characteristics. Using a laser sensor on board of an aircraft to determine topographic data, the research identified areas with trees measuring more than 80 meters high in the Jari River Valley region. The discovery was considered an unusual reality for the region, since the largest Amazonian trees usually reach 40 or 50 meters on average.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x922230"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; "><iframe src="https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x922230" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay"></iframe></div></div></figure>Based on the data obtained by INPE, several expeditions were made to the area to reach these giant trees. Representatives of research and government institutions took part in the search, as well as local residents, who helped with transportation, as the area is quite isolated and difficult to access. The area explored includes part of the Paru State Forest (Flota), in western Pará, and the Tumucumaque Mountains National Park, in Amapá, both conservation units.Five expeditions and several discoveries later, the researchers, led by the Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, from Minas Gerais, and the Federal Institute of Amapá, located, in September 2022, in the Paru Forest, a specimen of red angelim tree (Dinizia excelsa) 88.5 meters high and almost 10 meters in circumference. Its age is estimated at between 400 and 600 years.In the region, in addition to the record-breaking tree, the expedition found a population of almost 40 other giant trees, measuring more than 60 meters in height, including several other red angelims, but also other species, such as piquiá (Caryocar villosum), maçaranduba (Manilkara huberi), tauari (Couratari guyanensis), castanheira (Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl.) and samaúma (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.). The site has been named the Amazon Giant Tree Sanctuary.<h1>Discovering the sanctuary</h1>Ideflor-Bio (Pará State Forestry and Biodiversity Development Institute) is responsible for the state's conservation units, such as the Paru Flota. Crisomar Lobato, a forestry engineer and the Institute's director of Biodiversity Management, says that specialists from the agency have joined the team of expeditions in search of the giant trees."We started to integrate this work so that we could legally and physically protect these unique species. And now, in May, we have made a new expedition, which has located a population of dozens of red angelims, further south of the area where the 88.5-meter one was found. This population measures between 60 and 73 meters," says the manager.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/20240714_XATUAMAZONGIGANTES_CRISOMAR_LOBATO_FOTOS_IVAN_DUARTE_6_bd3312ff89.JPG" alt="20240714XATUAMAZONGIGANTES - CRISOMAR LOBATO - FOTOS - IVAN DUARTE (6).JPG" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_20240714_XATUAMAZONGIGANTES_CRISOMAR_LOBATO_FOTOS_IVAN_DUARTE_6_bd3312ff89.JPG 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_20240714_XATUAMAZONGIGANTES_CRISOMAR_LOBATO_FOTOS_IVAN_DUARTE_6_bd3312ff89.JPG 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_20240714_XATUAMAZONGIGANTES_CRISOMAR_LOBATO_FOTOS_IVAN_DUARTE_6_bd3312ff89.JPG 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_20240714_XATUAMAZONGIGANTES_CRISOMAR_LOBATO_FOTOS_IVAN_DUARTE_6_bd3312ff89.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Crisomar Lobato, a forestry engineer and the Institute's director of Biodiversity Management, says that specialists from the agency have joined the team of expeditions in search of the giant trees (Image: Ivan Duarte / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>According to the engineer, the agency is now working on producing knowledge about the giant trees. "We're working on dating to find out how old the trees are. We're also looking for a scientific basis to find out why they've grown so much. Together with Embrapa [the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation], we are analyzing the soil to find out its importance in the evolution of these trees. We also know that the wind in this region is less intense than in other areas. Another important factor is that there has been no anthropogenic disturbance, i.e. there has been no effective human arrival in the region," explains Lobato.According to forestry engineer Rodrigo Geroni, a professor at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (UFRA) and one of the curators of the Forest Resources Measurement and Management Laboratory, the trees found, based on their size, have been alive for hundreds or thousands of years. "The existence of the largest trees in the Amazon at this specific site indicates a region with a high stock of biomass and carbon, with a probable great wealth of biodiversity," says the professor.According to Geroni, studies on the giants found can answer important questions, such as the amount of carbon they store (remove from the air), their relationship with the biodiversity of the place, how they affect or are affected by the microclimate and even the possibility of reproducing these conditions in other areas, based on the genetic material found there.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Rodrigo_Geroni_UFRA_Arquivo_pessoal_4a2aeb7055.JPG" alt="Rodrigo Geroni - UFRA - Arquivo pessoal.JPG" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Rodrigo_Geroni_UFRA_Arquivo_pessoal_4a2aeb7055.JPG 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Rodrigo_Geroni_UFRA_Arquivo_pessoal_4a2aeb7055.JPG 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Rodrigo_Geroni_UFRA_Arquivo_pessoal_4a2aeb7055.JPG 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Rodrigo_Geroni_UFRA_Arquivo_pessoal_4a2aeb7055.JPG 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Crisomar Lobato, a forestry engineer and the Institute's director of Biodiversity Management, says that specialists from the agency have joined the team of expeditions in search of the giant trees (Image: Ivan Duarte / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>"These are questions that could change the focus of a lot of legislation in force today, not to mention genetic, herbal and medicinal aspects and the average age of formation of this forest, which are related to human life in the region. The ecological importance of this forest site is difficult to measure. There is no market value to pay for what is there, and its ecological value is not easy to measure, simply because it is still little known from a scientific point of view and is a rare site in the whole of the Amazon," says the expert.<h1>#ProtectTheGiantTrees</h1>Precisely because they see the importance of these immense, centuries-old trees, third sector and private sector organizations such as the Amazon Institute for Man and the Environment (Imazon), the O Mundo Que Queremos (The World We Want) Institute and the National Pro-Conservation Units Network (Rede Pró-UC) have joined forces to demand the protection of this valuable heritage. In 2022, the campaign #ProtectTheGiantTrees"At the time, the aim of the campaign was to draw attention to the existence of the red angelim, due to its importance and rarity, at the same time as the conservation unit where it is found, the Paru Flota, was considered one of the most threatened in Brazil," explains Angela Kuczach, executive director of Rede Pró-UC.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Foto_Havita_Rigamonti_6_7fec13f8c3.jpg" alt="Foto - Havita Rigamonti (6).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Foto_Havita_Rigamonti_6_7fec13f8c3.jpg 235w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Foto_Havita_Rigamonti_6_7fec13f8c3.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Foto_Havita_Rigamonti_6_7fec13f8c3.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Foto_Havita_Rigamonti_6_7fec13f8c3.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Third sector and private sector organizations such as the Amazon Institute for Man and the Environment (Imazon), the O Mundo Que Queremos (The World We Want) Institute and the National Pro-Conservation Units Network (Rede Pró-UC) have joined forces to demand the protection of this valuable heritage (Image: Havita Rigamonti)</figcaption></figure>The biologist says that when the red angelim was discovered, it was also discovered that there were more than 500 illegal Rural Environmental Registrations (CARs) kept within the Flota. "We're talking about illegal deforestation, invasion, land grabbing, attempted mining, all sorts of illegal activities, which we know happen every day in the Amazon. Flota is very vulnerable to this. So, at the time, the Pará state government immediately canceled these CARs, but these threats are still ongoing," he recalls.<h1>Full protection</h1>Angela Kuczach explains that the #ProtectTheGiantTrees campaign is currently in another phase: demanding a new protection status for the Paru Forest. "What we hope is that, in addition to combating illegal activities, this region will have a new, more restrictive categorization and become more protected. We want to ensure that the area where the red angelim is located continues to exist forever and that the people of Pará know and are proud of this treasure in their backyard," he says.Professor Geroni, from Ufra, agrees with the need to change the conservation unit's status and strict supervision. "If the aim is to preserve these areas, to keep them untouched, the state government must take the main action. The transformation of Flota do Paru, especially this specific site, into a fully protected area is the most appropriate measure. However, even if this happens in the short term, the state government, together with the federal government, must take action to curb the access of unauthorized people who have been frequenting the region for years, for example by operating illegal mining operations along the river that borders the Sanctuary," he says.Crisomar Lobato, from Ideflor-Bio, says that the Institute is already mobilizing to change the unit's status. Currently, the Paru Flota is in the category of sustainable use, meaning that it can be exploited as long as it is done so responsibly, without depleting it or damaging ecological processes. The idea is for the Giant Tree Sanctuary region to become fully protected."The Paru Forest has approximately 3.6 million hectares. Of these more than three million, we're going to separate 562,000 hectares, where the giants are, and turn it into an integral protection conservation unit," says Lobato. In this form, the rules for human intervention are much stricter.<h1>Tree of life, Amazon icon</h1>Although smaller than the red angelims found in the western region of Pará, kapok tree (Ceiba pentandras) are also recognized as giants of the Amazon. They can reach 60 meters in height and three meters in diameter. Their main distinguishing feature is their apparent, flattened roots, called sapopembas. They are known as "trees of life" and are considered sacred by some indigenous peoples, who see them as a kind of interconnection between the earthly and spiritual worlds.In Belém, the samaumeiras [kapok trees] have become icons of the city. The best known are those in the Utinga State Park and the Nazaré Sanctuary Square, but there are several other specimens. In the urban area, there are around 15 trees of this species, mostly on public roads and in squares, but they can also be found in the Bosque Rodrigues Alves (Rodrigues Alves Park), the Emílio Goeldi Museum and on the capital's islands, such as the Combu Island. According to the Municipal Department of the Environment (Semma), an inventory of trees is being carried out, which should provide a more accurate answer to how many kapok trees there are in the city.According to José Ailton Melo Júnior, head of Semma's Public Green Areas Maintenance Division, the already mapped and known specimens receive maintenance at least once a year, with pruning or pest control. This can also happen on demand.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Jose_Ailton_Gomes_de_Melo_Junior_Semma_Arquivo_pessoal_c480b03c7e.jpeg" alt="José Ailton Gomes de Melo Júnior- Semma - Arquivo pessoal.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Jose_Ailton_Gomes_de_Melo_Junior_Semma_Arquivo_pessoal_c480b03c7e.jpeg 125w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Jose_Ailton_Gomes_de_Melo_Junior_Semma_Arquivo_pessoal_c480b03c7e.jpeg 400w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Jose_Ailton_Gomes_de_Melo_Junior_Semma_Arquivo_pessoal_c480b03c7e.jpeg 600w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Jose_Ailton_Gomes_de_Melo_Junior_Semma_Arquivo_pessoal_c480b03c7e.jpeg 800w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>"This species is culturally important because it is one of the symbols of our city, and a 100% native symbol”, says José (Image: Personal file)</figcaption></figure>The agronomist explains that the species is a municipal heritage site, in accordance with Law No. 7.709/1994, which deals with the capital's Historical, Artistic, Environmental and Cultural Heritage. "Every time a samaum tree is removed, a new one of the same species must be planted, not necessarily in the same place, but in the city," he said.The agronomist explains that the species is a municipal heritage site, in accordance with Law No. 7.709/1994, which deals with the capital's Historical, Artistic, Environmental and Cultural Heritage. "Every time a kapok tree is removed, a new one of the same species must be planted, not necessarily in the same place, but in the city," he said."This species is culturally important because it is one of the symbols of our city, and a 100% native symbol. Our ancestors already lived with it. There are trees in the region of the islands that are estimated to be 500 years old. Those in the urban area are up to 200 years old. So, the city was built and grew around these trees. They are part of our history," says the agronomist.Seamstress Elizabeth Soares often goes for walks in Utinga Park and has a habit of observing the beauty of the kapok tree at the entrance to the park, which has become a postcard for the area, where visitors often take their photos. "We have to appreciate nature. As this is a centenary tree, we really have to preserve it. Many of these trees are destroyed, cut down, but we have to love them and take care of them. It's for us, for our future," he says.

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The government and civil society are fighting to keep the region's and Brazil's largest tree standing, a red angelim tree (Dinizia excelsa) almost 90 meters tall

Trees become a symbol of the importance of preservation

Beloved in the popular imagination of the Amazon people, river dolphins [botos] will be object of a study at the Federal Rural University of the Amazon (Ufra) that seeks to better understand the organism of river dolphins and the impact of the interactions with humans on the health of these aquatic mammals in the municipalities of Mocajuba and Cametá in Pará.&nbsp;One species which stands as protagonist of the investigation is the Araguaian river dolphin [Boto do Araguaia - Inia araguaiaensis] – a cetacean recently described in 2014.&nbsp;These mammals inhabit the region of the lower Tocantins River, produce 237 different sounds to communicate and are the third species of river dolphins cataloged in the Amazon.Researcher Layane Maia started her investigation with river dolphins in 2015 and has closely followed the growing interest in the animals.&nbsp;She has also witnessed the intensification of tourism in Mocajuba promoted by them.&nbsp;Now, Layane is developing a doctorate research focused on the health of the species.According to the researcher, her main scientific interest is the hormonal profile of river dolphins, to analyze their metabolic processes.The goal is to check their stress levels, whether there are periods of the day or month when they are likely to be more agitated and what is the relationship between this stress and the sounds they produce, and what each sound signal may represent.&nbsp;<blockquote>"They have a very large vocal repertoire, an indication that there is a very diverse social complexity, with a lot of intelligence, similar to those of the orcas", she points out.</blockquote>The study will last 36 months and is currently in the stage of testing and standardization of protocols and methodologies.&nbsp;The project will also analyze diseases and pathogen risks, as there are doubts about how well the animals' health is ensured during interactions with humans, considering both humans and river dolphins may transmit diseases to each other."There are well-grounded researches about whales, but not yet about river dolphins. We believe that we are going to observe influences depending on more or less visitations. As the animals are in direct context of interaction with humans, we are going to check the issues of water quality and also of pathogens in the intestines, blood and breathing tract of the animals. It will be a thorough health study, important for the preservation of the species", she says.<h2>Study is unprecedented and challenging</h2>Layane evaluates the operation as ambitious. First, because river dolphins are restless beings and taking them out of the water for blood testing will not be an easy task.&nbsp;Second, because scientists will need to examine the animals' spray, that is, their breathing. In river dolphins, breathing occurs through the spiracle, a small hole in the head of the animal that has a function similar to that of the nose.&nbsp;The researchers will need to momentarily cover this hole with a cylindrical container to collect the droplets exhaled at the time of breathing.&nbsp;The third challenge is to create specific methodological procedures, since this is an unprecedented study and without previous literature to ‘teach you the ropes’."We don't even have an estimate of the number of freshwater river dolphins in the Araguaia. Before 2014, we thought that only the pink river dolphin existed here. So, the classification of the species is still vulnerable, and we have few studies", she adds.Professor Frederico Ozanan is also part of the Institute for Biology and Conservation of Aquatic Mammals in the Amazon (BioMA) where Layane works.&nbsp;The institute is an initiative that has gone deeper and deeper into the study of Amazonian river dolphins.For him, cataloging the physiological parameters and organisms functionality of endemic species is important for the world to know that the Amazonian people, themselves, care about the region's ecosystem and that they are fighting to preserve it by scientific means.&nbsp;He agrees that the originality of the study represents a big challenge, but he is confident."They are docile animals and used to humans, but we will need to contain them a bit. This is not easy. We are still studying how all this will work out. It is a risk for those who are handling them and for the animals themselves, as they will be removed from the water. The laboratory work will be easier. There are many people, and many people will be around at the collection site, as it will take place in the center of Mocajuba. It is not possible to say that there is no risk. We have already managed other studies on river dolphins, but not in the same context", recalls Professor Ozanan, who belongs to a team of ten researchers linked to the project, which counts on the support of the Federal University of Alagoas and the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Pesquisadores_e_botos_Ascom_Ufra_166ddd9af8.jpeg" alt="Pesquisadores e botos_Ascom Ufra.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Pesquisadores_e_botos_Ascom_Ufra_166ddd9af8.jpeg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Pesquisadores_e_botos_Ascom_Ufra_166ddd9af8.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Pesquisadores_e_botos_Ascom_Ufra_166ddd9af8.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Pesquisadores_e_botos_Ascom_Ufra_166ddd9af8.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Research investigates secrets of the intelligence and health of the species that charms the region and its visitors (Ascom/Ufra)</figcaption></figure>Angélica Rodrigues, who is also a researcher at BioMA, participated in the first research group on river dolphins in the region, back in 2006. She is happy to see the work she helped to start up growing and gaining momentum."In the beginning, we didn't have any research that told the natural history, occurrence and ecology of the species. That is, people saw the dolphins but there was nothing systematically produced about them. The main obstacle is financial support, so in our group we help each other with both the research and also with fundraising. The North region still has little visibility when it comes to scientific research", affirms Angelica.<h2>Hydroelectric dams and predatory fishing are obstacles to the survival of the species</h2>River dolphins have always been pointed out as endangered species and this scenario is not different with the Araguaian river dolphins.&nbsp;This fragility is explained by the several sources of danger linked to their habitat, the rivers. The number one factor is represented by hydroelectric dams.&nbsp;According to the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), there are 221 hydroelectric plants operating in the Amazon.&nbsp;There are 27 classified as large, 102 as medium and small and 92 as microgenerators. Another 35 dams are under construction or on the way to construction, including in the Araguaia-Tocantins basin, where the newly discovered river dolphins live.&nbsp;"This creates a risk of geographic isolation, unfortunately. Imagine that: there is the construction of a dam where the animals will no longer be able to move along that stretch of the river, in which they used to have free access. It affects the ecosystem", says Layane Maia.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Researchers_Gabriel_Melo_e_Layane_Maia_have_big_expectations_for_the_study_Layane_Maia_ae3a2802ae.jpeg" alt="Researchers Gabriel Melo e Layane Maia have big expectations for the study (Layane Maia)" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Researchers_Gabriel_Melo_e_Layane_Maia_have_big_expectations_for_the_study_Layane_Maia_ae3a2802ae.jpeg 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Researchers_Gabriel_Melo_e_Layane_Maia_have_big_expectations_for_the_study_Layane_Maia_ae3a2802ae.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Researchers_Gabriel_Melo_e_Layane_Maia_have_big_expectations_for_the_study_Layane_Maia_ae3a2802ae.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Researchers_Gabriel_Melo_e_Layane_Maia_have_big_expectations_for_the_study_Layane_Maia_ae3a2802ae.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Layane Maia and Gabriel Melo are excited about the study (Personal file)</figcaption></figure>Conflicts with fishermen also add to the list. The river dolphins have powerful mobility skills and are remarkably fast and dexterous.&nbsp;This is because they do not possess a fused cervical vertebra, a characteristic that gives them great neck and head mobility, something that other dolphins and cetaceans are deprived of.&nbsp;Normally, the Araguaian river dolphins feed themselves in flooded places, such as the igapó forests, right in the middle of the aquatic roots.&nbsp;But, when the fisherman throws the net and the animal perceives the effortless opportunity of getting food, it swims hard towards the fishing equipment, bites it, turns its neck and tears the net.&nbsp;"That is, loss for the fisherman. This competition between fisherman and river dolphins is something that we need to mediate with caution", says Maia.In addition, river dolphin meat is used as bait for fishing picaratinga in the Amazon River basin, an activity that has already led to an estimated killing of 300 to 4,000 river dolphins per year, according to the National Institute for Research in the Amazon (Inpa).&nbsp;Currently, fishing for this species, also known as “douradinha” fish, is prohibited until at least July 2, 2023.&nbsp;Institutions that promote protection of river dolphins are fighting to postpone the expiration date of the law, established in 2015 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.&nbsp;Fishing for this species is also prohibited in Colombia.<h2>Myths and legends</h2>The folklore that surrounds the image of “botos” is also a challenge for the animals' survival.&nbsp;The legend that they come out of the river and transform into charming men in white clothes and persuasive talk is still powerful in small towns in the interior of the Amazon region.&nbsp;The alleged magical form that the animal disguises itself and the belief that they will impregnate the girls who live along the river may cause fear and negative interactions with humans, resulting in aggression.&nbsp;According to researcher Layane Maia, reports like that are common.&nbsp;"So, all this is added: the “boto” tears the net apart, it's naughty, it emerges out of the river and shapeshifts as a man, it has human capacity and intelligence. It's very fast. There are some of its organs used in “pajelança” rituals and sometimes, if the “boto” is vulnerable, it is killed. In Cametá, there are many river dolphins with signs of aggression", she reports.Ricardo Calazans, researcher in charge for the Mirante do Boto space, in Mocajuba, says that many fishermen do not respect the river dolphins, but that they are a minority.&nbsp;According to him, the killing of dolphins is much more common in the state of Amazonas, which has more riverside regions far from cities.&nbsp;Calazans says that many residents often alert him when they notice that a “boto” is injured."Here, it is very common people saying that they've danced with the boto, that they have a daughter with the boto, that the boto took a niece to a party. Still, I'd say that 90% of riverine people respect and take care of the boto", he says.<h2>River dolphin tour enhances ecological tourism in Mocajuba</h2>Created in 2016, Mirante do Boto is the hit of tourism in Mocajuba, a municipality in the northeast of Pará.&nbsp;They are 17 dolphins, from young to adults, that go every day to swim, play and eat near the Municipal Market of Mocajuba.&nbsp;Due to such success, the space became an official tourist place promoted by the city hall, under the responsibility of Ricardo Calazans.&nbsp;The researcher wrote a final graduation paper work focused on the river dolphins in Mocajuba, his hometown.&nbsp;Today, he is dedicated to research the habits of cetaceans and managing the place that receives up to a thousand people a week during the Amazonian summer.&nbsp;In the rainy season, the visiting flow drops to 200 people.The river dolphins arrive around six in the morning and, at noon, they leave for the waters furthest from human contact.&nbsp;Each group of visitors interacts 10 to 15 minutes with the animals, to prevent them from becoming stressed. Tourists also feed the river dolphins.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Ricardo_Calazans_com_os_botos_1_876a5a7422.jpeg" alt="Ricardo Calazans says he loves the " srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Ricardo_Calazans_com_os_botos_1_876a5a7422.jpeg 178w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Ricardo_Calazans_com_os_botos_1_876a5a7422.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Ricardo_Calazans_com_os_botos_1_876a5a7422.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Ricardo_Calazans_com_os_botos_1_876a5a7422.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Ricardo takes care of the botos in Mocajuba, which receive up to a thousand visits a week (Personal file)</figcaption></figure>"We have to be very careful, because the food given are small portions of fish sold in the street market stands. But they don't eat all kinds of fish. We have to inspect everything beforehand, to double check if it's the ideal fish, if it has bones. They eat mapará, tucunaré and filhote. In addition to supervising the fish given, we make a previous presentation sharing some guidelines", he says.All river dolphins have their own names and Calazans guarantees that he recognizes each one from a far distance.&nbsp;"The 17 river dolphins never show up together. We've already noticed that the fewer visitors we have, the more they show up. Some are a bit wild. But we have a daily average of 5 to 7 dolphins swimming around the market every day", he says.Ricardo says he is excited about the research about the health of these animals.&nbsp;According to the researcher, working at Mirante has changed his life and is a reason for happiness and pride.&nbsp;"I had a friend and his father used to sell fish at the market. When I was a child, I noticed that he would always go there, grab a little fish and give it to the “boto”. As soon as I started to study at the university, I told my professor about the idea of researching the river dolphins in my city. Since then, I started to visit the place and always check out the conditions of the river dolphins, if they were fine, take care of them voluntarily. So, the city mayor hired me. I created the page on Instagram [@botosdemocajuba] and we have now more than 30,000 followers. It was an incredible thing. They are little “botos” that I love from the bottom of my heart, I fight for them and I do anything for them", he says.Currently, Ricardo has the support of a veterinarian who monitors the health of the animals on a weekly basis.&nbsp;According to him, most of the scratches and bites that appear on the river dolphins are the result of fights among themselves.&nbsp;"Usually, there are just superficial scratches. People are invited to visit the Mirante, it's all free, but “you can't be too careful”. Here, we guide the interaction step by step. And we always ask people to preserve them. This phenomenon of the river dolphins moving towards human contact is very special and only occurs in two places in the world: here and in Manaus. So, we have to take care of them and do everything the right way", he says.For researcher Frederico Ozanan, from Ufra, one of the great achievements of the research project will be the tourist organization of the interaction.&nbsp;"Based on the conclusions, we will be able to better control how many people per day will interact with them and how, besides nutritional control of the amount of food given to the animals. We will be able to help the city hall and environmental agencies to structure, in a safer way, the visits", he points out.

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Portrayed in 2014, aquatic mammals are a hit among tourists who visit Mocajuba, in Northeastern Pará. Now, they are the object of a study conducted by the Federal Rural University of the Amazon, which will analyze the impacts of human interaction, with the aim of protecting them.

The Araguaian river dolphins

The last quarter of 2024 presented us with a devastating sequence of scientific news that together paint an alarming picture of the health of our planet.&nbsp;In September, scientists from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research brought a shocking revelation. Seven of the nine planetary boundaries fundamental to the survival of life as we know it have already been crossed: unbridled land use is destroying natural habitats; climate change is dangerously raising global temperatures; biodiversity is collapsing at an unprecedented rate; nitrogen and phosphorus cycles are out of balance; fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce; and chemical pollution, including microplastics, is contaminating every corner of the planet. Only the ozone layer and atmospheric aerosols still maintain some stability.&nbsp;And the picture gets bleaker. WWF's Living Planet Report 2024 has given us another devastating diagnosis: in just 50 years, we have lost 73% of monitored wildlife populations. It's as if, in just half a century, three quarters of all wild animals have disappeared from our forests, rivers and oceans. Freshwater ecosystems have been hit hardest, with a shocking 85% reduction in their populations.&nbsp;The situation of trees, which are fundamental to maintaining life on Earth, turned out to be even more critical than imagined. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has presented a complete assessment of the world's trees, and the figures are terrifying: of the 47,282 species assessed, at least 16,425 are at risk of extinction. To measure the seriousness of this finding, the number of threatened trees is more than double the sum of all threatened species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined. In 192 countries, practically all over the planet, there are tree species on the verge of disappearing.&nbsp;This is not just an abstract number. Each tree species we lose represents a crucial broken link in the chain of life. Trees are the true architects of our ecosystems: they produce oxygen, regulate the climate, provide shelter and food for countless species, and help prevent natural disasters. But the pace of destruction still far outstrips conservation efforts.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Reprodution_Amazon_Deforestation_level_in_2021_reaches_decade_high_05d7ce6215.png" alt="Reprodution-Amazon-Deforestation-level-in-2021-reaches-decade-high.png" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Reprodution_Amazon_Deforestation_level_in_2021_reaches_decade_high_05d7ce6215.png 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Reprodution_Amazon_Deforestation_level_in_2021_reaches_decade_high_05d7ce6215.png 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Reprodution_Amazon_Deforestation_level_in_2021_reaches_decade_high_05d7ce6215.png 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Reprodution_Amazon_Deforestation_level_in_2021_reaches_decade_high_05d7ce6215.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>"Each tree species we lose represents a crucial broken link in the chain of life", explains Ima Vieira.</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;To add to this gloomy scenario, the World Meteorological Organization announced that greenhouse gas concentrations reached a new record in 2023. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased by 11.4% in just 20 years, reaching levels 151% higher than in the pre-industrial era.&nbsp;While the warning signs are multiplying, the responses from world leaders still fall short of the urgency required. The Conferences of the Parties (COPs), both on climate and biodiversity, have become annual rituals of empty promises and unfulfilled commitments. Since the Paris Agreement in 2015, the emission reduction targets set by countries remain insufficient to curb global warming by 1.5°C, and even these modest targets are not being met.&nbsp;The paralysis of world leaders has a devastating cost. Every year of delay in effective action means more species extinct, more ecosystems destroyed and more proximity to climate points of no return. So is it still possible to postpone the end of the world? The answer is in our hands, but time is running out fast.&nbsp;These four pieces of news together are not isolated scientific data - they are a cry for help from the planet. We need immediate and drastic action to reverse this situation: a complete transformation of our production and consumption systems, rigorous protection of the remaining ecosystems, and a real global commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;The next COPs can no longer be a stage for empty speeches - they need to be milestones for real change, with verifiable commitments and consequences for non-compliance. The question is no longer whether we should act, but with what urgency and intensity we will respond to this desperate call for help from the world.&nbsp;Ima Vieira is agronomist, PhD in Ecology from the University of Stirling (UK), researcher at Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, advisor at Studies and Projects Financier (FINEP). &nbsp;

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What the warnings say about the health of the planet

Can we still postpone the end of the world? 

In the Amazon, approximately 20% of the forests have been destroyed, and another 40% are severely degraded. The combination of high temperatures and below-average rainfall, following years of extreme drought, culminated in a severe drought in 2024. Fire has invaded forests that were once humid. This degradation and loss of forests is threatening the survival of countless species, reducing the resilience of forests and their ability to provide vital ecosystem services. Recent studies by INPE indicate that forest fires in the Amazon and other biomes increased considerably in 2023, with an even greater increase in 2024. Although these fires are caused by human activities, it is recognized by science that climate change - evidenced by rising temperatures, reduced soil moisture and decreased rainfall - is a key factor in the increase of forest fires in the Amazon. The El Niño phenomenon adds to the risk by being associated with prolonged periods of drought in the region. In dry years, such as 2023 and 2024, fire can easily become uncontrollable, as the entire landscape becomes highly flammable. As deforestation fragments the landscape, creating more edges between forests and open areas, these become more vulnerable to fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;With extreme droughts, such as the current one, the fragmentation of the landscape, the use of fire in agricultural activities, the presence of more degraded forests due to previous fires, and illegal deforestation, the risk of fires is expected to increase even more.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Santarém region, for example, is already considered a "hotspot" for forest fires, with mega-fires occurring since the 90s. In the eastern Amazon, the last 40 years have seen a reduction in rainfall of between 30 and 40% and an increase in temperature of between 2 and 2.5°C during the dry season.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/3_combate_incendio_florestal_no_Parque_Indigena_do_Xingu_no_Mato_Grosso_VINICIUS_MENDONCA_IBAMA_e3648eff60.jpg" alt="3-combate incêndio florestal no Parque Indígena do Xingu, no Mato Grosso - VINÍCIUS MENDONÇA - IBAMA.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_3_combate_incendio_florestal_no_Parque_Indigena_do_Xingu_no_Mato_Grosso_VINICIUS_MENDONCA_IBAMA_e3648eff60.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_3_combate_incendio_florestal_no_Parque_Indigena_do_Xingu_no_Mato_Grosso_VINICIUS_MENDONCA_IBAMA_e3648eff60.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_3_combate_incendio_florestal_no_Parque_Indigena_do_Xingu_no_Mato_Grosso_VINICIUS_MENDONCA_IBAMA_e3648eff60.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_3_combate_incendio_florestal_no_Parque_Indigena_do_Xingu_no_Mato_Grosso_VINICIUS_MENDONCA_IBAMA_e3648eff60.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“In dry years, such as 2023 and 2024, fire can easily become uncontrollable, as the entire landscape becomes highly flammable”, says the researcher Ima Vieira.</figcaption></figure> The transformation of the Amazon is a cause of great concern for society and policymakers, as this situation could lead to the collapse of the forest, intense and frequent changes in the flows and water levels of the great Amazonian rivers, as we have seen today. This affects millions of people in the region's urban and rural areas, with significant impacts on Brazil and the world.&nbsp;Although achieving zero deforestation in the Amazon is a crucial step towards protecting the forest, this measure alone will not be enough to prevent forest fires.&nbsp;More audacious actions are urgently needed to tackle the complex challenges threatening the Amazon. Among these measures is the strengthening of integrated fire management policies. The new Law No. 14.944/2024, which establishes the National Fire Management Policy (PNMF), represents a step forward for Brazil, as it opens up the possibility of more strategic and long-term planning for fire management, including prevention, combat and recovery actions. &nbsp;Despite being an important step, the law still needs to be improved in some respects, such as investment in firefighting resources. Currently, the lack of resources and the precarious working conditions of firefighters, with short-term contracts, hinder prevention actions and make it difficult to respond efficiently in the long term.&nbsp; It is essential that public policies incorporate fire management in an integrated way, including prevention, awareness-raising and firefighting actions, seeking more efficient and effective alternatives to protect the environment and ensure the safety of communities. It is also important to support scientific research to better understand the interactions between climate, fire and vegetation. In addition, it is essential to strengthen monitoring and ensure compliance with environmental laws, so that illegal activities are duly punished.&nbsp; In the strategy of fire management and forest conservation, the commitment and involvement of municipal managers and councillors is also necessary. As Bertha Becker pointed out, cities need to be active in protecting forests, which provide ecosystem services essential to their functioning, productivity and well-being. These combined actions are essential to protect the Amazon from fires and conserve its unique biodiversity.&nbsp;Ima Vieira is agronomist, PhD in Ecology from the University of Stirling (UK), researcher at Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, advisor at Studies and Projects Financier (FINEP). &nbsp;

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The climate has changed, Amazon has changed. What's next?

When we talk about climate change, we inevitably come across two concepts: mitigation and adaptation. Climate change mitigation implies avoiding and reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere thus preventing the planet's temperatures from rising to more extreme levels.In turn, climate change’s adaptation requires the modification of behaviors, systems and even lifestyles in order to protect our families, economies and the environment in which we live from the adverse impacts of climate change.In a warming world, the experience of a different climate does not necessarily require a geographical; the climate is becoming our own environment. In the Amazon, for example, there have already been extreme temperature increases of more than 3°C compared to the 1960s in the northwestern part of the biome (in the states of Amazonas and Rondônia) and in the interior of Pará.Climate change impacts on food security, water availability and location for housing construction. In addition, we are faced with emergent challenges, such as the need to combat longer and more intense forest fire seasons, manage potential outbreaks of previously non-existent diseases and encouraging urban development away from areas where we like to live, such as coastal areas and riverbanks.Adaptation solutions vary from place to place, are difficult to predict and involve multiple compromises. Understanding local risks and developing strategies to manage them should be the first steps followed by the implementation of systems to respond to impacts.Climate adaptation is not just about disaster management, but about investing significantly in preventing the effects of climate change on territories. Since 2017, the city of São Leopoldo, in Rio Grande do Sul, has been carrying out preventive work; which has spared it even greater problems with the heavy rains that have affected the state so much, as we have seen in the news.In the Amazon, the challenge of climate adaptation is taking on urgent and complex proportions. Extreme droughts and floods, as well as forest fires, are effects of the climate crisis and demand coordinated responses at various levels of the federation through comprehensive public policies.This includes everything from the integration of monitoring and disaster prevention initiatives, to the organization and training of crisis specialists (civil defense, firefighters, and others) and hiring equipment in municipalities. equipment in the municipalities. In addition, it is crucial to establish structures in municipalities most likely to be affected, assigning them specific responsibilities and conditions for implementing preventive measures and, in this case, the governments need to develop new management strategies, especially with regard to public financesBut what is the institutional capacity of Brazilian municipalities, especially those in the Amazon, to implement adaptation programs? Municipalities face other urgent development needs, which makes them even more vulnerable to extreme climate events. This underscores the need to include plans in municipal planning. It is crucial to incorporate these discussions into the debates of municipal elections in Brazil with urgency! We cannot remain at the mercy of impending tragedies without planned and preventive measures being taken. &nbsp;

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Climate adaptation isn't disaster management

It is not new that the castanheira-da-Amazônia [Brazil nut tree] has social and economic importance in the context of the biome that names the tree. Traditional families, such as those made up of riverine people, indigenous people and quilombolas, guarantee part of their income from the production and sale of the seed of this species, the Brazil nut. The food generated more than R$170 million in the Amazon Region in 2022 – the year of the last update made by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) –, the result of the harvest of 38,169 tons produced and it has potential for more.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8ybh20"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; "><iframe src="https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x8ybh20" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" width="480" height="270" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay"></iframe></div></div></figure>In 2021, the product generated R$137 million for the biome. Following the needs and growth trend seen in Brazil nut production, some projects and institutions in the Amazon are focusing on improving the conditions for tree growth, planting and harvesting, adding added value to the food and promoting the generation of employment and income in the region. One of them is Nanorad’s, an experience coordinated by the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (Inpa) [National Institute for Amazonian Research], which uses nanobiotechnology to enhance plant development.The initiative is present in all nine states of the Legal Amazon – Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins and Maranhão – and has more than 100 researchers. Brazil nut trees are the main target of the project. A nanoparticle, called arbolin, is inserted into the leaves of the trees or into the soil, with the aim of improving the synergy of the roots with the bacteria present, causing better photosynthesis, carbon assimilation and the growth of these species. The results already show an increase in the height, diameter and number of leaves of the plants.<h1>Arboline</h1>The trees will be measured in 2025, but the study with arbolina indicates a 30% increase in the size of trees that used the substance. The starting point for beginning research with nut trees was the reality of deforestation in the Amazon. José Francisco Gonçalves, researcher at INPA and coordinator of Nanorad’s, explains that these degraded areas of the biome are the focus of the work, since there is a lot of perspective for the future and few effective solutions to overcome the problem. “Twenty percent of deforested area is sufficient as a vision of the future, as an adequate political solution,” he says.The project has been developed for two years. Gonçalves highlights that there are around 16 thousand species existing in the Amazon forest and, in comparison with other regions, if at least 10% of this total were used, the economy would begin to show reaction effects. “It means we have the problem and we have how to turn it into a solution and decision makers have to choose sides. The problem is: do I continue to deforest? And the solution is: effective action in areas that have already been deforested. We made a diagnosis and we say that there are solutions and they are based on forestry plantations”, he states.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Jose_Francisco_Goncalves_pesquisador_e_coordenador_do_Nanorad_s_Arquivo_pessoal_1_dc821d2919.jfif" alt="José Francisco Gonçalves, pesquisador e coordenador do Nanorad’s - Arquivo pessoal (1).jfif" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Jose_Francisco_Goncalves_pesquisador_e_coordenador_do_Nanorad_s_Arquivo_pessoal_1_dc821d2919.jfif 117w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Jose_Francisco_Goncalves_pesquisador_e_coordenador_do_Nanorad_s_Arquivo_pessoal_1_dc821d2919.jfif 376w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Jose_Francisco_Goncalves_pesquisador_e_coordenador_do_Nanorad_s_Arquivo_pessoal_1_dc821d2919.jfif 564w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Jose_Francisco_Goncalves_pesquisador_e_coordenador_do_Nanorad_s_Arquivo_pessoal_1_dc821d2919.jfif 752w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“The nut tree is a kind of multiproduct, so it has the advantage of producing nuts, wood, the oil can be extracted from the almond, it can be consumed fresh…”, says Nanorad’s coordinator, José Francisco Gonçalves (Image: Personal file)</figcaption></figure>“We need to work towards planting species that add value to the market. There is a lack of research, a lack of investment, but even using only this species that we have, it is possible to plant forests with high performance. Today, the project has 11 institutions throughout the Brazilian Amazon. In Pará, it is the Unifesspa. In each of the areas, there is a responsible researcher and a scholarship student who monitors the experiment in the field. We have five high school students selected from public schools”, lists the researcher.<h1>Species provides from nut to wood</h1>There are several possibilities for increasing the economy through chestnut trees. In addition to the production of Brazil nuts, wooden nuts also have space in the market and accelerating the growth of the species is a way to guarantee demand. Nanorad’s coordinator, José Francisco Gonçalves, explains that the tree takes eight years, under current conditions, to mature – this time is being reduced through nanobiotechnology. “The chestnut tree is a kind of multiproduct, so it has the advantage of producing nuts, wood, the almond can extract the oil, it can be consumed fresh…”<h1>Choice</h1>In addition to the socioeconomic context present in the cultivation of nut trees in the Amazon, the project took into account the physiological differences of the tree to carry out the study. “The choice of the nut tree was a selection of a species that presents what we call physiological plasticity. It grows in understory environments, it germinates when the forest opens its canopy, so the seed that is in the seed bank there falls to the ground, germinates and grows. The nut tree grows in that low light condition, but it also grows in open, deforested environments.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/AREAS_COM_CASTANHEIRAS_PLANTADAS_NANORADS_2_a0593d449b.jpeg" alt="ÁREAS COM CASTANHEIRAS PLANTADAS, NANORADS (2).jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_AREAS_COM_CASTANHEIRAS_PLANTADAS_NANORADS_2_a0593d449b.jpeg 207w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_AREAS_COM_CASTANHEIRAS_PLANTADAS_NANORADS_2_a0593d449b.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_AREAS_COM_CASTANHEIRAS_PLANTADAS_NANORADS_2_a0593d449b.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_AREAS_COM_CASTANHEIRAS_PLANTADAS_NANORADS_2_a0593d449b.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Versatile, the nut tree grows in low light conditions and also in open environments (Image: Personal file)</figcaption></figure><h1>Brazil nuts have competitive advantages</h1>Unlike other items cultivated in the Amazon, such as açaí, Brazil nuts have the advantage of not being perishable, that is, they do not spoil easily. Lúcia Wadt, a researcher at the Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) [Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation] in Rondônia, also considers that harvesting the product involves the entire family, guaranteeing broad income. “However, açaí has much greater added value, it generates more income, but it is not as universal in terms of collecting. Brazil nut is a product that replaces rubber and since the beginning you can take it and sell it without any problems of lack of technology.”<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Castanha_do_Para_Ag_Para_bb59f868dc.jfif" alt="Castanha-do-Pará - Ag. Pará.jfif" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Castanha_do_Para_Ag_Para_bb59f868dc.jfif 235w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Castanha_do_Para_Ag_Para_bb59f868dc.jfif 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Castanha_do_Para_Ag_Para_bb59f868dc.jfif 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Castanha_do_Para_Ag_Para_bb59f868dc.jfif 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Among the studies, medicinal potentials were found in the nuts. “Several extractive communities use, collect the nutshell and make tea for stomach problems, for example,” says researcher Lúcia Wadt (Image: Ag. Pará / File)</figcaption></figure>“The market is growing, it is not saturated and it is very traditional. The main income goes to families living in the Amazon, in extractive reserves, generating most of their profits. It's knowledge that passes from father to son, almost everyone knows how to collect and open nuts. The sludge is traditional and is being lost because young people don't know how to cut rubber trees. But, not the nut. Young people and teenagers participate [in the harvests], women participate and that is why it is so important”, adds the Embrapa researcher.<h1>Medicinal purposes</h1>The research carried out by Embrapa follows the path of promoting quality in the production and harvesting of Brazil nuts and finding better solutions for the bioeconomy of the product in the Amazon. Among the studies, medicinal potentials were found in the nuts. “Several extractive communities use it, collect the nutshell and make tea for stomach problems, for example. They use it for several things. Research for medicinal purposes has found very interesting results [in other trees], but in the nut tree it was the most significant,” says Lúcia.<h1>Embrapa works to improve Brazil nut economy</h1>Since the beginning of the 2000s, Embrapa has been researching the best ways to make the Brazil nut production chain larger. Lúcia highlights that, among the projects, the institution works on quality, added value, extractive solutions and genetics. “We have been working to improve productivity, reduce labor effort, planting, working on the selection and development of productive materials and techniques for producing seedlings, pruning, grafting, so that we can recommend a cultivation system with techniques that really bring advantages to production”, she states.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Lucia_Wadt_Arquivo_pessoal_0dd6cd234f.jfif" alt="Lúcia Wadt - Arquivo pessoal.jfif" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Lucia_Wadt_Arquivo_pessoal_0dd6cd234f.jfif 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Lucia_Wadt_Arquivo_pessoal_0dd6cd234f.jfif 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Lucia_Wadt_Arquivo_pessoal_0dd6cd234f.jfif 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Lucia_Wadt_Arquivo_pessoal_0dd6cd234f.jfif 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“The nut is a product that replaces rubber and since the beginning you can take it and sell it without problems of lack of technology”, says Lúcia Wadt, researcher at Embrapa Rondônia (Image: Personal file)</figcaption></figure>Although the value of the production of Brazil nuts, the seed of the nut tree, increased between 2021 and 2022, the food comes from a historical series of stability: in 2018, R$ 130 million were raised and, in 2019, R$ $135 million. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this amount was R$98 million. The data are from IBGE. João Cláudio Arroyo, university professor and Ph.D in urban development and environment, believes that the gains could be much greater. This is because the biome produces without added value, that is, it bases exports on raw, untreated products.“There is a certain devaluation of nuts in relation to the real [Brazilian currency] and due to the logic of exporting without any processing. We transform and sell the nut as a commodity, a common product for the international market; It does not stand out for its quality and peculiarity, it only gains market share through price, it has to depreciate costs to lower the price and gain market share. We export part of it to Switzerland, for example, and we buy the nuts used in chocolate, although we could make it here”, explains the professor.<h1>Contrast</h1>This reality is contrasting, since Brazil is the second largest producer of Brazil nuts, followed by Bolivia and Peru. “We have a lot of resources, but wealth is generated abroad. We keep around 5% of the resources of the wealth that is generated with what we have. Brazil's geoeconomic positioning is disadvantageous: we have resources, we are the 9th largest productive power in the world, we have the 9th largest Gross Domestic Product [GDP], we produce a lot but without added value. Those who are making economic decisions are those who are interested in Brazil remaining poor”, says Arroyo.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liberal-amazon/embed/episodes/Brazil-nut-tree-is-an-option-for-reforestation-and-bioeconomy-e2jgqaf/a-ab8mars" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div><h1>Potential</h1>A series of products could be developed from Brazil nuts, such as oil to replace olive oil and sweets, for example. However, extractivism remains the main activity. “The nut began as a “droga do sertão” [spices with high resale value], right after the arrival of the Portuguese colonizers. Later, investments here returned with the arrival of the English and French, but precious stones received more attention. The nut was not highlighted and continues to be an extractive product, it does not have a technique, an industry. We harvest and throw it into the world, they give it back as products”, explains the professor.Brazil nut production in the Amazon- AcreR$ 58 million9,145 tons produced- AmapáR$ 1.1 million400 tons produced- AmazonR$ 46 million14,303 tons produced- Mato GrossoR$ 16 million2,205 tons produced- ParáR$31 million8,807 tons produced- RondôniaR$5.9 million1,395 tons produced- RoraimaR$ 10 million1,915 tons produced- TocantinsNo data- MaranhãoNo dataSource: IBGE/2022

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