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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

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Survey was carried out by Redação Integrada de O Liberal [O Liberal Integrated Newsroom] considering data from Tribunal Superior Eleitoral (TSE) [Superior Electoral Court]. Number potentializes the history of racism and racial discrimination of a country that has always denied the color of its people

Legal Amazon: less than 5,08% of congressmen in the region's states are black

The <a href="https://www.wikiparques.org/wiki/Parque_Estadual_de_Monte_Alegre">Parque Estadual de Monte Alegre [Monte Alegre State Park] (Pema)</a> is an open-air museum, where one can find cave paintings, trails and fascinating natural beauties. Located in western Pará, the region is home to some of the oldest records of human occupation in the Americas. With strong tourist attractions, the area brings together 5,800 hectares of pure millenary history, with 30 cataloged archaeological sites. Out of these, nine are open to the public: access to Pema is by four-wheel drive vehicles and motorcycles. Visitors are always accompanied by a guide.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the archaeological sites there are paintings experts estimate date back 12,000 years – a&nbsp; fact involved by a lot of mysteries, curiosities and studies about the peoples who have inhabited the region long before the official arrival of the Portuguese settlers in Brazil, in the year 1500.&nbsp; Professor Arenildo Silva, master in Anthropology and Archeology, believes the cave paintings found in Pema date back to the human past in the Amazon, but they are registers that have become enigmas challenging the archaeological science. We are still struggling to unravel the meanings of the records left on the stones. “It is a starting point for us to know how these peoples who inhabited our region used to live. And it is difficult for you to determine precisely which people were here”, he says. Arenildo Silva explains that, when the Europeans arrived in Pará, they registered some ethnic groups that lived in Monte Alegre at that time, such as the Gurupatuba, Carabocas, Bubuizes, Mariaus and Serranos. However, these peoples residing in the region no longer could explain the meanings of the paintings. “They were prehistoric. A research by the American archaeologist Anna Roosevelt pointed out that the deepest layer, where painting remains were found on the cave walls, date back approximately 12,000 years”, points out the expert.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">How to arrive at Pema</h2>&nbsp;If you are in Santarém, a municipality located in Western Pará, and intend to visit the park, it is necessary to take a boat departing from the city. The trip takes about 1h20 and the ticket price varies between R$13 Reais (ferry) and R$30 Reais (speedboat). In this first stage, the boat takes the tourist to the Santana do Tapará community, which is still part of the municipality of Santarém.Then, it takes another hour on PA-255 road to get to the city of Monte Alegre. The stretch can be done by collective vans which are usually waiting for passengers at the time of arrival of the speedboats and ferries. The trip costs R$ 35 Reais for the passenger to be dropped at the door of the lodging place. The road is in good conditions, however, the side road that gives access to the park is pretty bumpy and has several points of flooding.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Different peoples occupied the region</h2>&nbsp;Professor Arenildo recalls that the study carried out by the American researcher and based on excavations, has already identified the site was occupied by several groups. “Probably, the first paintings were made by a specific group. The findings in the excavations also indicate that the region remained uninhabited for a long time, being later occupied by another group, who also left part of their history portrayed in the rock panels”, explains Silva.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_1_b204e980eb.jpg" alt="image (1).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_1_b204e980eb.jpg 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_1_b204e980eb.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_1_b204e980eb.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_1_b204e980eb.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Ândria Almeida / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>The Parque Estadual de Monte Alegre [Monte Alegre State Park] (Pema) receives an average of 400 visitors per month, according to the place management division. Mazinho da Silva – geographer and guide of Pema – says that the Serra da Lua area is one of the most outstanding visiting points. The cave paintings found at this archaeological site are spread over 350 meters and 41 panels. The place received such name due to the various figures in circular shapes painted in the area.To access Serra da Lua site, it is necessary to climb 150 meters along a rocky trail – the ascent is backed by a handrail which helps hikers on their journey. The walk can be carried out with up to 10 people and lasts about 20 minutes, depending on the heat and the physical condition of the visitor.See the map of Serra da Lua:<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d510375.96676625754!2d-54.207772!3d-2.030866!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x3d818a0b8a5d9cb5!2sComplexo%20De%20Musealiza%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Do%20PEMA%3A%20Serra%20Da%20Lua!5e0!3m2!1spt-BR!2sbr!4v1657824873220!5m2!1spt-BR!2sbr" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>To withstand the climb, it is recommended to wear light clothes, such as leggings and blouses with sun protection, and hats. It is also important to have a light and nutritious diet before the hike. For those who might need to buy provisions for the adventure, the commercial center of the city has good options of varied supplies, at all prices and sizes. Another important tip for the expedition is to always take a bottle of water to get hydrated and light snacks, because the place does not have these two essential items.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Casa Rochosa de Deus and its mild weather</h2>&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Andria_Almeida_Monte_Alegre_O_Liberal_1c4ea23d18.png" alt="Andria-Almeida-Monte-Alegre-O Liberal.png" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Andria_Almeida_Monte_Alegre_O_Liberal_1c4ea23d18.png 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Andria_Almeida_Monte_Alegre_O_Liberal_1c4ea23d18.png 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Andria_Almeida_Monte_Alegre_O_Liberal_1c4ea23d18.png 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Andria_Almeida_Monte_Alegre_O_Liberal_1c4ea23d18.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Ândria Almeida / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>The Itatupaoca grotto is another visiting spot that draws the attention of tourists. The name refers to a term that means “God’s rocky house” or “stone church” in tupi-guarani language. The site is one of the largest ones in the park, located at the South hillside of Serra do Ererê [Ererê Mountain], at an altitude of approximately 120 meters.By arriving at the cave, the climate changes, becoming extremely pleasant. That's because the roof of the cave continuously drops rainwater accumulated during the winter. In the outdoor area, some paintings in three different colors can be seen more clearly in the summer period, as the humidity turns the colors almost imperceptible.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Pilão: nature carved by nature</h2>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Andria_Almeida_monte_alegre_o_liberal2_58cdf517c3.png" alt="Andria-Almeida-monte-alegre-o-liberal2.png" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Andria_Almeida_monte_alegre_o_liberal2_58cdf517c3.png 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Andria_Almeida_monte_alegre_o_liberal2_58cdf517c3.png 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Andria_Almeida_monte_alegre_o_liberal2_58cdf517c3.png 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Andria_Almeida_monte_alegre_o_liberal2_58cdf517c3.png 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Ândria Almeida / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>At 175 meters above the Amazon River level, Pedra do Pilão [a large rock shaped like a pestle tool] has a breathtaking panoramic viewpoint, being a natural monument sculpted by nature. The site became the most visited spot in Pema, considered the symbol of the city of Monte Alegre. Mazinho da Silva explains that, for being the most visited spot, Pedra do Pilão has already suffered some damage in its paintings.Leaving Pedra do Pilão and going a little further along the trail, it is possible to reach Painel do Pilão [Pilão Panel], which according to the guide, is the site with the most paintings grouped throughout the park. The route from this point is made by a trail inside the forest, all protected by the shadows of the trees. In the Panel, the figures drawn along the rock wall enhance the mysteries about their meanings. One of them reminds a calendar, another one is completely enigmatic, showing lightning bolts and a figure that shoes an expression but no body.Veja o mapa da Pedra do Pilão:<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d7974.458953401182!2d-54.166121000000004!3d-2.064132!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0xe7a5c41e4fb7c82f!2sPedra%20do%20Pil%C3%A3o!5e0!3m2!1spt-BR!2sbr!4v1657825566675!5m2!1spt-BR!2sbr" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>It’s recommended that the visitor walk slowly not to get too tired along the tour. On the trail, it is possible to appreciate rocks, some of them are a little far from each other, and, in certain parts, it is almost necessary to climb to complete the route. Caves and shelters are also found along the way, places where you can sit and rest for a few minutes. Many of them, according to experts, were inhabited for hundreds of years.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Entrance to the park with a guide only</h2>&nbsp;To visit Pema, it is mandatory to have a guide. Hiring one costs R$ 30 Reais per tourist site visited – the amount does not include transportation to the park. There are two options for transportation vehicles within Pema: four-wheel drive car or motorcycle.Monte Alegre State Park (Pema) is a Conservation Unit in the State of Pará, managed by the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Florestal e da Biodiversidade (Ideflor-Bio) [Institute for Forestry Development and Biodiversity].

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State Park in the city dates back to the millenary presence of peoples residing in the region

Monte Alegre: beauty, history and mysteries in the Amazon

Despite being originally from the Amazon, for many decades cocoa was synonymous with Bahia, a state in the northeastern region of Brazil that led the production of the fruit without competition.&nbsp;In recent years, however, Pará has consolidated itself as the main producer in the country, not only because of the quantity, which, in 2022, reached 50.68% of all the Brazilian production, but also because the state is the largest bank of genetic material of cocoa in the world, with more than two thousand different genotypes.While the average yield of cocoa per hectare is 469 kilos considering the entire Brazilian territory, in Pará, the figures reach 948 kilos, thanks to a convergence of ideal conditions for production in the state.Hélia Moura closely witnessed each step of the growth of cocoa in the Amazon. In 1996, she married a farmer who already worked with fruit production.&nbsp;She left Manaus, Amazonas, where she used to live towards Medicilândia, in southwest Pará.&nbsp;She felt very inspired by her husband, a man she describes as very curious and eager for knowledge, despite being illiterate.&nbsp;Her involvement with the cocoa plantation grew stronger and, in 2006, she decided to study Agronomy at the Federal University of Pará.Today, Hélia is responsible for running the Transamazônica Agroindustrial Cooperative, which, in 2014, launched the Cacauway brand.&nbsp;Cacauway produces chocolate with raw material extracted from municipalities along the BR-230 highway.&nbsp;Medicilândia, alone, is responsible for 30% for the production in Pará – around 70,000 tons of cocoa beans per year.&nbsp;The 40 members of Transamazônica Agroindustrial Cooperative have the capacity to produce 600 thousand tons per year."Some time ago, people thought the cocoa from Pará was not of good quality. This has fallen to the ground. Today, it is synonymous with excellence and the chocolate from Pará is dominating the contests. It is the reflection of a lot of work, because we are looking more and more attentively for the quality of the product, applying processes, testing new things. We have a wide range of varieties that bring a wonderful terroir that only exists here", says the producer.Robson Brogni is also a producer in Medicilândia who manages the Ascurra farm alongside his wife Sarah.&nbsp;In 1985, Sarah's father, Belmiro, already had more than 9,500 cocoa trees planted in his property, which he bought with a lot of sweat, after years saving money as a banana freighter to Belém.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Chocolate_Ascurra_4_882aeca79b.jpeg" alt="Chocolate Ascurra 4.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Chocolate_Ascurra_4_882aeca79b.jpeg 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Chocolate_Ascurra_4_882aeca79b.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Chocolate_Ascurra_4_882aeca79b.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Chocolate_Ascurra_4_882aeca79b.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>“Technically speaking, it has already been proven that the great differential of cocoa from Pará is the high concentration of butter”, points out Robson</figcaption></figure>With the support of his wife, Denilze, the business grew and, in 2023, the family's properties total more than 280,000 cocoa trees.Today, they have their own brand of chocolates and specialize in fine almonds awarded throughout Brazil.&nbsp;"Technically speaking, it has already been proven that the great differential of cocoa from Pará is the high concentration of butter, with percentages above 50%. In the Transamazônica region, this percentage approaches 60%. This greatly values ​​our cocoa in terms of quality ", points out Robson.<h2>Production method makes the difference in Pará</h2>According to producer Robson Brogni, fine cocoa requires a special handling protocol from harvest to storage.&nbsp;The counterpart is the design of a product with high added value compared to conventional cocoa, which generates a financial advance that can reach up to 100% more in the final price.Until today, the Executive Committee of the Cocoa Crop Plan, linked to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, distributes seeds to farmers for the production of nurseries.&nbsp;This practice has received strong incentives over the last 50 years and was responsible for start of the cocoa plantation in the region of the Transamazon Highway.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_4_dcc6032f2b.jpeg" alt="Helia Moura_Produção de cacau 4.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_4_dcc6032f2b.jpeg 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_4_dcc6032f2b.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_4_dcc6032f2b.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_4_dcc6032f2b.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>At four years of age, cacao trees begin to bear fruit, but it becomes edible only at the age of seven (Courtesy: Helia Moura)</figcaption></figure>After six months in nursery, they can be taken to the field for commercial planting, with a spacing of three by three meters, in a way that, each hectare holds a thousand plants, considering spaces for branches, where producers and machines pass.At four years old, the cacao trees begin to bear fruit, but they only become economically viable at seven years old.In addition, temporary shading provided by banana trees is necessary, which ends up generating extra income for farmers, as bunches of bananas begin to appear after a year of planting.Another technique, the seminal system, has been in use for 10 years in the region. The seedlings are grafted, that is, genetically modified with different tissues, creating new plants and increasing the yield according to the variety of the species that the producer prefers.&nbsp;"They are similar processes, but with modified DNA. The farmer wants a more profitable variety, with more volume. But, as an industry, we want a sweeter and less acidic variation. All of this is calculated. Many people insist on planting cocoa in open sunlight, but the Amazonian cacao tree lives under the forest. The cacao tree in open sunlight is more productive, but it generates more costs from the point of view of sanitary control than one planted in an agroforestry system. In addition to banana trees, there are many experiences of associated crops, including cocoa with açaí", says producer Hélia Moura.<h2>Sustainability is an ally of producers in the region</h2>Nowadays, Hélia sees the fact that there are other alternatives to the system known as “cabruca” as positive. It was not itinerant and consisted of cutting down the forest so that cocoa could be planted.&nbsp;"Now cocoa has nothing to do with deforestation anymore. That was 50 years ago. Today, cocoa works as a replacement for the forest. Farmers even transform pastures into areas for cocoa cultivation. The scenario has changed", says Hélia, excited with the Easter egg sales, which triple the cooperative's turnover and guarantee a reserve of resources for the months of lower demand<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_d24a727f74.jpeg" alt="Helia Moura_Produção de cacau.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_d24a727f74.jpeg 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_d24a727f74.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_d24a727f74.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Helia_Moura_Producao_de_cacau_d24a727f74.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>The Amazonian cocoa tree lives under the forest shade, generating a sweeter and less acidic variation (Courtesy: Helia Moura)</figcaption></figure>Robson Brogni agrees that cocoa plays an important role for the forest preservation. He recalls it is a crop that does not expose the soil and also helps to collect carbon dioxide.&nbsp;"And a large part of the workforce comes from family farming, a kind of working directly attached to sustainability. The main companies that buy cocoa are paying close attention to the sustainable aspect of the producing farms", he says.However, he points out that fluctuations in the cocoa price are challenging.&nbsp;"Cocoa almonds, like all commodities, depend on local and global factors to set up at a price, established by the daily fluctuation of the dollar and the New York stock exchange, that is, the cocoa producer does not determine the sale price of the product, even with the very frequently price raising of raw materials and workforce in recent times", he evaluates.<h2>Brazil begins to fulfill increasing world demand</h2>Brazil is not self-sufficient in terms of cocoa production, thus it is necessary to import raw materials to meet national demand.&nbsp;Therefore, the New York stock exchange is the reference to set prices and pairing with the international market.&nbsp;At the end of 2022, cocoa prices increased, resulting in a raising of 3.04% of contracts expiring in March 2023, so prices reached US$ 2,606 per ton of cocoa almond.&nbsp;This is evidence of the high demand for the product and that, according to economist Caio Santos, was enhanced by a shortage of raw materials in 2022.&nbsp;There was a deficit of 230 thousand tons in the world, that is, humanity is producing much less cocoa than is consumed.Santos points out some factors: the main responsible for this production are African countries where there were productivity problems, related to the lower use of fertilizers, whose prices increased.Ghana, the second largest producer in the world, is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis. In addition, the world is going through a demand recovery process.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:40.85%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Caio_Santos_Divulgacao_Stone_X_Editada_94cf969aba.jpg" alt="Caio Santos (Divulgação_StoneX_Editada).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Caio_Santos_Divulgacao_Stone_X_Editada_94cf969aba.jpg 108w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Caio_Santos_Divulgacao_Stone_X_Editada_94cf969aba.jpg 346w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Caio_Santos_Divulgacao_Stone_X_Editada_94cf969aba.jpg 520w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Caio_Santos_Divulgacao_Stone_X_Editada_94cf969aba.jpg 693w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Santos is a cocoa-related risk management consultant for a financial service company (Courtesy/Stone X)</figcaption></figure>"In 10 years, we expect demand to continue expanding, as it is parallel to the demographic growth. There are still many places in the world without chocolate and as urbanization moves on, the demand tends to increase. And since 2020, we've had the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and China was stopped for a long time due to the covid-19. All this results in a very high increase of the cocoa price", he says.Santos is a cocoa-related risk management consultant for a financial service company.According to Caio, these factors could open doors for cocoa from the Amazon. Brazil is the eighth largest cocoa producer in the world.&nbsp;In comparison, Ivory Coast [Côte d'Ivoire] produces ten times more than the entire Brazilian territory.Brazil, however, is considered as an advantageous region for the expansion of cocoa production, due to the much better conditions compared to the African countries, which are responsible for 70% of world production.&nbsp;This is because the Amazon has ideal conditions for production. In addition, production conditions in Africa are very precarious and there are reports of child labor use and illegal deforestation there."The world wants to reduce this dependence on Africa, as companies are pressured to fight against it. In Brazil, as there is much better structure than in African countries, it is supposed that production can grow in a more sustainable way, with better control of deforestation, proper treatment on the land, and greater control of social issues through legislation and inspection. There is huge international interest and it keeps raising", he says.<h2>Amazon cocoa reaches international heights</h2>When he created the Chocolat Festival in 2009, in Bahia, Marco Lessa felt that the potential of Brazilian cocoa deserved more attention and prestige.&nbsp;At the time, Bahia was the main producer of cocoa in Brazil and was facing a severe crisis due to the witches' broom, a parasitic pest that devastated a large part of the planted area in the state and dropped production from 400,000 to 90,000 tons per year."Our goal was to design a platform for everyone to get to know cocoa, to encourage the verticalization of production and add value, promoting tourism also around production, presenting cocoa as a cultural value of our identity", he says.Since then, the festival has grown and gained more and more international interest.In 2013, the festival landed in Pará and, in 2022, an edition was held in Altamira.&nbsp;An international edition, with the aim of introducing Brazilian cocoa to Europe, was held in Portugal.Since the beginning of the festival, more than 300 chocolate brands have already been created in Brazil. Interest in seeds from the Amazon is constantly growing, according to Lessa.<figure class="image image_resized image-style-side" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Marco_Lessa_5_da8502dbd4.jpeg" alt="Marco Lessa 5.jpeg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Marco_Lessa_5_da8502dbd4.jpeg 208w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Marco_Lessa_5_da8502dbd4.jpeg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Marco_Lessa_5_da8502dbd4.jpeg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Marco_Lessa_5_da8502dbd4.jpeg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>&nbsp;Marco Lessa felt that the potential of Brazilian cocoa deserved more attention and prestige (Personal archive)</figcaption></figure>"The Amazon has a very strong marketing appeal, but printing the word “Amazon” on the package is not enough. Cocoa helps to keep the forest standing and there is production by indigenous and riverside peoples. It's a social aspect that the world needs to learn, understand and value. We have unique characteristics in the Trans-Amazon floodplain cocoa, with a very unique flavor. The characteristics of the biome give Amazon cocoa a unique flavor. Cocoa has been domesticated for 5,000 years and it is produced as an agricultural crop for 300 years, but in just a decade, with the support of universities, governments, the press, we promoted a transformation in the production and industrialization of cocoa in the region. The numbers doubled in Pará, with more than 50 brands of chocolates produced", he highlights.For Hélia Moura, witnessing everything that cocoa from the Amazon has become in recent years is a reason for pride.&nbsp;"Cocoa represents life. It is the families’ income, they feel motivated to stay in the countryside, acting like real guardians of the forest. Cocoa has taken us to horizons we’ve never imagined reaching. And we are just getting started".

Helia Moura is proud of how important cocoa from the Amazon became in the last years (personal archive)

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By becoming the main producer in the country, Pará stands out not only for the volume of production, but also for the rich bank of genetic material of the fruit, with more than two thousand different genotypes in the Amazon

Cocoa from Pará conquers the world

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

An economic and cultural reference in the North region, the city of Belém remains known as the “Metropolis of the Amazon”, even regarding the growth of other Brazilian cities in different states, and Manaus standing as the largest exponent in the state of Amazonas. However, the history of colonization in the Brazilian Amazon gained greater prominence in the capital of Pará, which grew both in size and importance, and was consolidated over the centuries as one of the main gateways for those visiting the Amazon region. Next Wednesday, January 12th, Belém turns 406 years old.Listen to the comment on this news:<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/liberal-amazon/embed/episodes/Capital-was-a-center-for-transformations-in-the-region-e1clg71/a-a77261m" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>The first capital of the Amazon, Belém, was founded in 1616 by Francisco Caldeira Castelo Branco, Major Captain of Rio Grande do Norte, who disembarked with his troops at the mouth of the Guajará River, a strategic defense point for the area, with the purpose of moving away the Dutch and French invaders from the Northern coast.The city began to be built after the erection of the military fortification named “Forte do Castelo do Senhor Santo Cristo do Presépio de Belém”, currently known as Forte do Castelo, in Cidade Velha neighborhood. The name goes back to the period of Jesus' birth, Christmas, when the Portuguese command entered the region. The birthplace of Christ, in fact, would work as an inspiration for the future name of the city. Precisely in that site, the captain built a rustic fortification, a “palisade”, that is, a quadrilateral form of defense, which employed rammed earth technique. Inside, a chapel was built, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Graça [Our Lady of Graces]. Even after undergoing many reforms, reconstructions and restorations, the building still preserves the original cannons untouched.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_50_f8df49b465.jpg" alt="Belem Pará Foto Tarso Sarraf (50).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_50_f8df49b465.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_50_f8df49b465.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_50_f8df49b465.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Belem_Para_Foto_Tarso_Sarraf_50_f8df49b465.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Tarso Sarraf / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;Professor Ida Hamoy, from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), explains that Belém fits well with the name ‘metropolis’, which is assigned to a city (polis) that is the origin, beginning, reference [meter/mater] of a region. “Belém effectively represents this reference ‘of origin’, ‘of entry’. It is the reference of the Amazon region. Belém was the first city officially 'founded' in the North region and from where the colonization and conquest process started. From a region, initially despised by the conquerors, it sparked interest after the expulsion of the French invaders from Maranhão by the Iberian crown”, she says.Ida also points out that, by the time of its “foundation” (1616), Portugal and Spain were united under a unified crown during the reign of King Philip III, a period that became known in history as the “Iberian Union” (1580-1640). The Iberian Union was established since the succession crisis that followed the death of D. Henrique, the King of Portugal, who succeeded his nephew, D. Sebastião, and both had no heirs.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Ida_Hamoy_pesquisadora_foto_Tarso_Sarraf_320bc3c586.jpg" alt="Ida Hamoy, pesquisadora foto Tarso Sarraf.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Ida_Hamoy_pesquisadora_foto_Tarso_Sarraf_320bc3c586.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Ida_Hamoy_pesquisadora_foto_Tarso_Sarraf_320bc3c586.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Ida_Hamoy_pesquisadora_foto_Tarso_Sarraf_320bc3c586.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Ida_Hamoy_pesquisadora_foto_Tarso_Sarraf_320bc3c586.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Tarso Sarraf / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;According to the scholar, as a consequence, King Filipe III, King of Spain, with the support of the Portuguese nobility, took over the Portuguese crown as Filipe II of Portugal. A priority of his governance should be that of keeping the Portuguese in positions related to the administration of the colonies, including Brazil. However, the great Spanish contribution was the systematization of administrative and judicial procedures.Due to conflicts between the Spanish and the French crowns, the expulsion of the French from Maranhão and the conquest of the Amazon achieved through the foundation of a city located at the entrance of the great Amazon River was demanded by ‘royal order’. Later, the king determined the division of Brazil into two states: the State of Maranhão, area which encompassed the current states of Maranhão, Pará and Ceará, and the State of Brazil, which encompassed the rest of the territory.According to the scholar, Santa Maria de Belém was founded in 1616. And this fact, is regarded as the beginning of the colonization of the region, thus establishing a contact zone for intense processes of mestizaje, which consolidated this identity of cultures: Ibero-Italian, Indigenous, Caribbean and African. “And today, ‘Belém’ is recognized worldwide for its gastronomy, religion, dances, music and diversity of heritage”, affirms professor Ida Hamoy.<h2>Buildings that tell the city’s history</h2>&nbsp;Today, the area where the city originated is called “Feliz Lusitânia” and gathers an architectural complex in the historic center that encompasses not only the Forte do Castelo, but also buildings such as Dom Frei Caetano Brandão Square, Casa das Onze Janelas, Catedral de Santo Alexandre [Church and Museum of Sacred Art], and Catedral da Sé [Metropolitan Cathedral of Belém], important tourist attractions in the capital.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/022_239693d337.webp" alt="022.webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_022_239693d337.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_022_239693d337.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_022_239693d337.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_022_239693d337.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The two cathedrals and the Forte do Castelo were the first buildings to be erected after the foundation of the city. Catedral de Santo Alexandre used to be the headquarters of Companhia dos Jesuítas [Company of the Jesuits] in Brazil at colonial times and built in the 17th century by the Jesuits themselves. The construction of the church, currently dedicated to São Alexandre, began in 1616 with the participation of the indigenous people and was inaugurated in 1719. The Metropolitan Cathedral, also dating from 1616, was initially built in the former Forte do Presépio, but later transferred to its current location. It remained as a Chapel until 1719, when it was raised to the category of Cathedral. The construction of the Cathedral started in 1748, continued until 1755 and then was handed over to the Italian architect Antonio Landi – one of the most prominent names that changed and modernized the “face” of the city.Finally, the Casa das Onze Janelas dates from the second half of the 18th century. It was built by the wealthy owner of sugarcane mills Domingos da Costa Bacelar and used to be a house for the weekends. In 1768, the building was sold to Francisco Ataíde Teive, governor of Grão-Pará. After reforms done by the Italian architect Landi, it became a military hospital until 1870, then it was used as a military facility until the end of the 20th century. In 2002, the building became a museum, named Casa das Onze Janelas [The House of Eleven Windows], to promote contemporaneous art. Soon, it became the most important museum of contemporaneous art in the North region of Brazil.&nbsp;<h2>Capital was a center for transformations in the region</h2>&nbsp;The city of Grão-Pará was living under pressure due to the political emancipation of Brazil, in 1822, since there was a large distance from the political decisions in the South of the country, which was still strongly dependent to Portugal. Thus, Belém only recognized the independence of Brazil, which was proclaimed on September 7th 1822, almost a year later, precisely on August 15th 1823. The date marks the celebration of the Adesão do Pará [Joining of Pará].From the end of the 20th century on, socioeconomic changes in the Amazon were experienced. During this period, the city received the title of “Metropolis of the Amazon”, though before that many other designations were assigned to the city, such as “Little France in the North”, “North Star”, “The Great Capital”, “The City of the Mango Trees"historianHowever, the Independence of the country did not bring significant changes to the economic structure and it did not change the unfavorable conditions of living for the majority of the population, composed by indigenous, black and mixed-race peoples. Among other reasons, the social inequality led, between 1835 and 1840, to one of the most significant revolutions ever occurred in the country, the Cabanagem.The economic development in Belém effectively emerged in the 19th century. The opening of the rivers – Amazonas, Tocantins, Tapajós, Madeira and Rio Negro for navigation of merchant ships from all nations, after the colonial period, contributed for the development of the capital of Pará. During the period known as Ciclo da Borracha [Rubber Cycle] or Era da Borracha [Rubber Age], particularly between 1879 and 1912, the city experienced the first important development period. Almost all the commerce in the region had to go through the Port of Belém, where there was technology that the capitals in the South and the Southeast of the country did not have. Belém was known as “Paris in America”.During that time, the urban center also experienced modernizations. Important symbols were built in the capital of Pará, such as the Theatro da Paz; the Olympia Movie Theater, the oldest movie theater still in activity in Brazil; Antônio Lemos Palace, the current City Hall of Belém; and the Ver-o-Peso street market, one of the most famous touristic spots, the largest open air street market in Latin America. The successful economy attracted groups of immigrants from many countries. It was since then that Belém was known as the “Metropolis of the Amazon”.&nbsp;<h2>City of the Amazon plurality</h2>&nbsp;During its history, Belém has received many titles, such as “Francesinha do Norte” [Little France in the North], “Cidade das Mangueiras” [City of the Mango trees] and “Metrópole da Amazônia” [Metropolis of the Amazon]. Michel Pinho, historian and current president of the Fundação Cultural do Município de Belém (Fumbel) [Cultural Foundation of the municipality of Belém] states the importance of noticing that, since the 18th century, the city has a major role in this part of the country. Either as a reference from Portugal or as a reference from the Rubber Period, the capital is recognized for its great economic potential.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Historiador_Michel_Pinho_foto_Marcio_Nagano_0bcc64372b.jpg" alt="Historiador Michel Pinho foto Marcio Nagano.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Historiador_Michel_Pinho_foto_Marcio_Nagano_0bcc64372b.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Historiador_Michel_Pinho_foto_Marcio_Nagano_0bcc64372b.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Historiador_Michel_Pinho_foto_Marcio_Nagano_0bcc64372b.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Historiador_Michel_Pinho_foto_Marcio_Nagano_0bcc64372b.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Marcio Nagano / O Libaral)</figcaption></figure>“From the end of the 20th century on, socioeconomic changes in the Amazon were experienced. During this period, the city received the title of “Metropolis of the Amazon”, though before that many other designations were assigned to the city, such as “Little France in the North”, “North Star”, “The Great Capital”, “The City of the Mango Trees”. Those titles indicate the importance of the capital, not only for the region, but also for the other parts of the country. Currently, Belém holds a very important role in Brazil, not only regarding its cultural, gastronomic and musical production, but also concerning its imaginary. Our imaginary perspectives are strongly related to the black, indigenous and Portuguese roots. That is something fundamental”, he affirms.For the historian, Belém is really culturally rich and that richness is seen in many different ways, such as in its historical definitions, music, food and even in dance representations. “We also have other cultural representations, for instance, brega music and the technology of the aparelhagens [a kind of electronic music party] during the last 40 years”, he says.Besides the titles, Michel defines the capital of Pará as a plural city. “Belém is the city of the plurality in the Amazon. Here, you can find forest area 5 minutes from the city urban center, in Combu island, contrastingly, there are 40-floor buildings; there is diversity in cultural production, flowing from opera to aparelhagem parties, from graffiti to photography. Belém is a kind of city that connects to the rest of the country via its plurality, he states.For the future, the president of Fumbel believes that the capital of Pará needs to overcome some important economic barriers, producing virtual or real knowledge, strengthening its economy and generating wealthy, mainly concerning social issues. According to Michel, in order for Belém truly become the “metropolis of the Amazon”, it is necessary a great national agreement. “We need to think on a great national plan, involving the municipality, the state and the federal level, to create platforms of development, which should necessarily focus on decreasing the social inequality, he highlights.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Ver-o-Peso street market is a must-see</h2>&nbsp;The Ver-o-Peso street market is a non-sleep commercial complex in the city of Belém. It integrates the residents of the urban area with the riverine people. “It starts with the açaí and fish selling early in the morning, before the dawn. Then, the fruits and vegetables stalls wake up, then the herbs stalls… one by one, section to section wakes up, lastly the food stalls, where the peak is at noon, at lunch time. We assist all the small street markets in the city and also the riverine people”, tells Manoel da Silva, the general coordinator of the Ver-o-Peso Institute and a street market salesperson, known as “Didi do Ver-o-Peso”, a nickname.In order to work in the complex, where around 30 thousand people pass daily, 1,150 workers are registered in the City Hall. Each one has two or three assistants. According to “Didi do Ver-o-Peso”, when you get to Belém, going to Ver-o-Peso is a must-see. “You have to go there, you have to try açaí, fish…”. However, he is worried about the future of the street market. “Today, Ver-o-Peso market is listed as heritage, but the activities are not. This is our fight. One of the most worrying things for us is having the activities also listed, so Ver-o-Peso will not be at risk of ending up”, he pleads.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/Feirante_Didi_do_Ver_o_Peso_FOTO_Igor_Mota_821c731fdd.jpg" alt="Feirante Didi do Ver-o-Peso FOTO Igor Mota.jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_Feirante_Didi_do_Ver_o_Peso_FOTO_Igor_Mota_821c731fdd.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_Feirante_Didi_do_Ver_o_Peso_FOTO_Igor_Mota_821c731fdd.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_Feirante_Didi_do_Ver_o_Peso_FOTO_Igor_Mota_821c731fdd.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_Feirante_Didi_do_Ver_o_Peso_FOTO_Igor_Mota_821c731fdd.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Igor Mota / O Liberal)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;

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As the first capital of the Amazon region, the city preserves traceable memories in Architecture, Politics and Economy

Belém: gateway to the Amazon for four centuries

The North region concentrates around 40% of the entire indigenous population in the country, with Pará being the third state with the highest number of Brazilians so listed, according to a survey by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). For these people, education has been an important way of valuing their culture, identity and preserving knowledge. Since 2009, for example, more than 100 indigenous people have graduated from the Federal University of Pará (UFPA). And in the last ten years, 11 classes completed higher education at the University of the State of Pará (Uepa) - achievements that are opposed to the national social conditions that impose difficulties of protagonism and self-determination to traditional people in Brazil.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHtWY2EYm8Q"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IHtWY2EYm8Q" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure>Last wednesday (8th), 74 indigenous people from the Munduruku ethnic group joined the 11th class to complete the Indigenous Intercultural Licentiate course, offered through the Uepa Indigenous Training Center. The ceremony was held at the college headquarters of the city of Jacareacanga, on the border with the states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso. “Today is a special day for me and for the people who are attending, because it was a battle for a long time. Today I am an example for people in my community, for the chief and for all those who like to see us winning”, says graduating student Marcelo Saw Munduruku.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image8_3d047bf553.webp" alt="image8.webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image8_3d047bf553.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image8_3d047bf553.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image8_3d047bf553.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image8_3d047bf553.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>Roseane Kaba Munduruku (Rodrigo Pinheiro / Agência Pará)</figcaption></figure>Hands tied with care for the future is also the respect and appreciation of ancestry. It is the past that is not left behind, and is revived in everyday practices within the villages. During the graduation ceremony, it was no different: a big part of the students complemented their clothing with ornaments that were significant for their culture. “I am dressed today in honor of our ancestors. It is a very important victory, a very big achievement for us and an advance in education in that specific area. It is also an incentive for other peoples to have access to education, because we have the ability to conquer”, emphasizes graduate student Ivair Datie Karikafu. He presented the Uepa rector, Clay Chaves, with a symbolic 'cocar', a Brazilian indigenous headdress.<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Pandemic: one more challenge to indigenous education</h2>For undergraduate Elisa Akai Wui Munduruku, the opportunity to celebrate the gradutation was also a moment to remember all those who died during the covid-19 pandemic. “It is a joy to be able to reach the end and see my family, all well, after that period we went through, with the loss of our leaders, unfortunately. But, thank God, my whole family is here, in addition to the people, each one of them anxious, wanting to see us receive our diploma so that we can say we won the battle, one more fight of ours”, he celebrates.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image13_deb63ef36a.webp" alt="image13.webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image13_deb63ef36a.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image13_deb63ef36a.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image13_deb63ef36a.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image13_deb63ef36a.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Rodrigo Pinheiro / Agência Pará)</figcaption></figure>During the graduation speech, the newly graduated teacher Roseane Kabá Munduruku, took the opportunity to propose a minute of silence for her classmate and former councilor of Jacareacanga, Elinaldo Kirixi Munduruku, who died at the age of 50, on the 9th July 2020, victim of covid-19. The graduating class was named Elinaldo in honor of his memory.Roseane recalls how the pandemic was a very difficult period for students, increasing the challenges during the learning process: “We had online classes, which were not easy. The internet problems were huge for us. Many did not know how to enter virtual rooms. After a few months, we started to figure it out”.Roseane details that even the use of messaging mobile apps, such as Whatsapp, was a great challenge, due to the difficulty of adapting to the devices. It took a lot of resilience to get to the end, as the class should have graduated in 2020. The pandemic postponed the graduation for two years. “It wasn't easy, but we, Munduruku, are used to battles. We fight, even today, for our territory. We are grateful to the caciques (tribe's chiefs), who fought so hard for the university to come to us. We are also grateful to our parents. After all, our home was the first school and our mother was the first teacher”.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_13_700c7ff905.webp" alt="image (13).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_13_700c7ff905.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_13_700c7ff905.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_13_700c7ff905.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_13_700c7ff905.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Rodrigo Pinheiro / Agência Pará)</figcaption></figure>In addition to the pandemic, to graduate required strength to overcome obstacles, until the conclusion of higher education. At the opening of the subscriptions for the course, the candidates per place ratio 400 for 80 chairs. Then, came the need to leave the house and the village, to go to the village where the course is located. “Leaving our family members and adapting to the university routine was very difficult”.Mastering Brazilian portuguese was also a challenge. “When it came time to explain the college tasks, as many of us did not know how to express ourselves well in Brazilian portuguese”, details Roseane. However, she guarantees: the course allowed “to combine indigenous knowledge with the knowledge of non-indigenous people”, says Roseane, feeling emotional. “There were times when visagens (supernatural apparitions) visited colleagues. Other times we need to carry water, do work with the phone flashlight, and deliver it the next day. We mature more with the labor, in the certainty that our struggles are not in vain”.Trainees and teachers bet on indigenous protagonism in educationDeconstructing the idea that wisom and production of knowledge are restricted to specific environments and speech places, especially with a eurocentric point of view, is one of the main gains of indigenous education, defends one of the teachers of the Indigenous Intercultural Licentiate course, professor Antônia Zelina Negrao Oliveira. “It has been extremely gratifying to know that the university has also had the opportunity to learn from indigenous peoples, bringing people's knowledge into the academy, combining this knowledge with scientific knowledge. As a university, we only profti from this exchange of knowledge. This gave us more peace of mind to face this decolonization process that we are experiencing”, evaluates Antônia Zelina.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_14_5d5fb83357.webp" alt="image (14).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_14_5d5fb83357.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_14_5d5fb83357.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_14_5d5fb83357.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_14_5d5fb83357.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Rodrigo Pinheiro / Agência Pará)</figcaption></figure>The teacher gets emotional when remembering the difficulties she faced in teaching. Among them, the three-day trip from Belém to the village, in Alto Tapajós. “Our students also had challenges. Some came from four-day trip villages to reach the main village, where the course was held. It is very gratifying to be training 74 indigenous teachers. They have the opportunity to write the school education they want to provide for their children, youth and adults. Not just the Munduruku people, but all the villages in Pará”.For the course coordinator, professor Aline da Silva Lima, the course is not about earning a higher education degree: it's about being a protagonist, in order to exist and produce knowledge. “The indigenous teacher knows his context and can relate the teaching of the mother tongue with History, the knowledge of his territory, with the teaching of Geography, with the knowledge of hunting and fishing, with Biology. It is an intersection between knowledge. It is the construction of a leading role”.<blockquote>"Now, I can say that in addition to our traditional teachings, we will also teach about world affairs. This is critical" - Elisa Wuiu, teacher.</blockquote>The newly graduated Roseane Kabá Munduruku summarizes the importance of indigenous education for the degree: “The indigenous Munduruku teacher must promote an education focused on his people, bilingual, that does not distance himself from the Munduruku language. The course taught us that the great authors of our stories are us, the protagonists to transform our education. The university made us equal and showed that we need to promote an intercultural, unique, specific, interdisciplinary and proper school education for the Munduruku”.Munduruku teachers are already planning classes in the villages&nbsp;Munduruku teacher Elisa Wuiu is already preparing to travel to the Escondido village, in the city of Jacareacanga, southwest of Pará. Last Thursday (9), it was her day to separate what will be used during the trip. The diploma received at graduation, last Wednesday (8), will stay in the city, but the knowledge learned during the Indigenous Intercultural Licentiate course will follow the teacher forever. “We will share the education we received with our relatives. I used to teach before. Now, I can say that in addition to our traditional teachings, we will also teach about world affairs. This is critical. Quality education is our right”, points Elisa Wuiu.&nbsp;In an unprecedented graduation ceremony, last Wednesday, the 73 Munduruku professors bestowed received their diplomas from Governor Helder Barbalho himself, who was next to UEPA's dean, Clay Chagas. “The message to indigenous peoples is to count on the government of Pará. We're at a moment when we have, unfortunately, seen many conflicts with indigenous peoples in Brazil. As far as the government of Pará is concerned, indigenous peoples will always be seen and protected, guaranteeing their rights, the preservation of traditional peoples on Pará soil”, emphasized the governor.<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/SOLENIDADE_OUTORGA_INTERCULTURAL_INDIGENA_foto_Rodrigo_Pinheiro_ag_para_1_87_21cbfe4c59.jpg" alt="SOLENIDADE OUTORGA INTERCULTURAL INDÍGENA - foto Rodrigo Pinheiro - ag pará (1 (87).jpg" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_SOLENIDADE_OUTORGA_INTERCULTURAL_INDIGENA_foto_Rodrigo_Pinheiro_ag_para_1_87_21cbfe4c59.jpg 234w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_SOLENIDADE_OUTORGA_INTERCULTURAL_INDIGENA_foto_Rodrigo_Pinheiro_ag_para_1_87_21cbfe4c59.jpg 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_SOLENIDADE_OUTORGA_INTERCULTURAL_INDIGENA_foto_Rodrigo_Pinheiro_ag_para_1_87_21cbfe4c59.jpg 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_SOLENIDADE_OUTORGA_INTERCULTURAL_INDIGENA_foto_Rodrigo_Pinheiro_ag_para_1_87_21cbfe4c59.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Rodrigo Pinheiro / Agência Pará)</figcaption></figure>New investments in education will come with specialization&nbsp;Helder Barbalho also announced more investments for indigenous education in Pará. “In partnership with UEPA, we will bring intercultural graduation and specialization to indigenous peoples next year. So it's not just a Bachelor's degree. We will already take the specialization so that you can learn and qualify more and more. Take advantage of this opportunity”, he announced.&nbsp;The Indigenous Intercultural Licentiate course is part of Uepa's indigenist policy and is coordinated by the Indigenous Training Nucleus. The Nucleus is an inter-institutional space that guarantees indigenous peoples higher education, research, extension activities and continuing education, according to the needs and realities of these peoples. The course covers the areas of Language and Art, Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Humanities and Social Sciences.&nbsp;

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Teacher training ceremony marks historic moment for education. State will now open specialization

More than 70 indigenous Munduruku graduate as teachers in Pará

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A model that combines soil health care, biodiversity promotion and food quality was one of the frequent issues at COP 27 and has been a reality in the region for decades. Though, it needs more investments to reach a larger number of small and medium producers in the region.


Regenerative agriculture can evolve in the Amazon

The Amazon is the largest tropical forest in the world and plays an important role in regulating the global climate. However, deforestation contributes to the alteration of rainfall cycles, causing the intensification of the dry season, which increases the extent of native vegetation affected by forest fires. The continuous growth of fires in Boca do Acre (AM) went from 66%, in 2012, the year of approval of the new Forest Code, to 88% in 2019. The information is from research held by scientists from the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN), in partnership with other national and international institutions, and published on Tuesday (20) in the journal "Fire".The research analyzed satellite data of burned areas between the years 2003 and 2019, in a new deforestation frontier, in the Southwest of Amazonas. After cross-referencing the data, the scientists considered information about climate, land cover, rural properties and protected areas. "The goal of the study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of the spatial extent and patterns of burned areas, analyzing what, where, and how much has changed, to be able to understand the fire process in the study region," explains researcher Liana Anderson, one of the study's authors. In the period studied, the annual area affected by fire varied from 33 km² and peaked at 681 km² in 2019.<blockquote>The deforestation trend in the region also increased from 15% in 2012 to 91.60% in 2019</blockquote>The study also sought to understand the process of wildfires and the main factors that influence them. "We observed the importance of protection areas, such as conservation units and indigenous lands, because these serve as barriers for the fire not to enter the most preserved regions of the Amazon," points out research assistant Débora Dutra, who led the study. On the other hand, the areas of pasture and agriculture near highways, such as BR-317, and the routes used to transport wood from deforestation cause changes in these barriers, leaving the forest more vulnerable to forest fires.&nbsp;"Deforestation has a relationship with fire, because the opening of new areas increasingly exposes the forest," points out Liana Anderson. According to the study, the deforestation trend in the region increased from 15% in 2012 to 91.60% in 2019. It was also observed the advance in deforestation and fire in areas of public forests not yet designated, indicating the urgent need for public policies to ensure the conservation of these areas.According to the researchers, the prospect for the coming years is a significant increase in fire outbreaks in the region due to the increase in deforestation and the process of land grabbing, observed in the study from the registration of rural properties in areas of public forests in which deforestation processes and forest fires have occurred. &nbsp;"If we don't have public policies and control actions against illegal activities, such as unauthorized logging and deforestation, we can expect this area to become critical both for the increase in conflicts and the loss of ecosystem services," emphasizes Anderson.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://abori.com.br/amazonia/incendios-florestais-aumentaram-no-sudoeste-da-amazonia-apos-novo-codigo-florestal/">Source: Agência Bori</a>

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The information is from research held by scientists from the National Center for Monitoring and Alerts of Natural Disasters, in partnership with other national and international institutions

Forest fires have increased in the southwestern Amazon after the new Forest Code

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People from different regions of the country choose to pursue a career in the Amazon, studying and helping to preserve the biome. Local experts highlight the importance of collaboration, always respecting the region and its inhabitants


Biodiversity that enchants and retains professionals

The deforestation advance in the Amazon rainforest accumulated in 2021 resulted in it's worst year in a decade. From January to December of last year, 10,362 km² of the forest were destroyed. The data is provided by the Deforestation Alert System (SAD) of the Institute of Man and the Environment of the Amazon (Imazon), responsible for the monitoring of the region through satellite images. In comparison to 2020, the year in which deforestation in the Amazon had already occupied it's biggest area since 2012, with 8,096 km² of destroyed forest, the devastation in 2021 was 29% bigger.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://anchor.fm/liberal-amazon/embed/episodes/Liberal-Amazon-09---Amazon-deforestation-is-the-worst-of-the-decade-in-2021--with-a-29-increase-e1d9a00/a-a7tkhjm" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Despite the month of December showing a 49% reduction in deforestation, from 276 km² of devastated area, in 2020, to 140 km², in 2021, the new negative annual record is considered serious by researchers monitoring the region. According to research institutes, among the consequences of forest chopping are the change in rainfall schedule in Brazil and neighboring countries, the loss of biodiversity, among others.Crossing the deforested areas with the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) National Public Forest Registry database, researchers observed that 4,915 km² were devastated within federal territories. This corresponds to 47% of all deforestation registered in the Amazon last year. In these areas alone, destruction has increased by 21% compared to 2020 – and it was also the worst in 10 years.Created to preserve biodiversity and maintain sustainable ways of life for people and communities, Brazil's federal conservation units have also seen deforestation advance across their territories in the Amazon. In 2021, 507 km² of native forest were devastated within these protected areas, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year. Also in these territories, the devastation reached the worst level of the decade.“To fight deforestation, it is necessary to intensify inspections, especially in the most critical areas. Apply penalties and embargo to illegally deforested areas,” says Larissa Amorim, a researcher at Imazon.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image10_181c75a822.webp" alt="image10.webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image10_181c75a822.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image10_181c75a822.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image10_181c75a822.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image10_181c75a822.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Vinícius Mendonça / Ibama)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The crossing of data on devastation in the Brazilian Amazon in 2021 also indicates that 813 km² were destroyed in state public forests in the different Federation Units of the region, which is equivalent to 8% of the total deforested in the Amazon. In these areas, deforestation also reached, in 2021, the highest accumulated index of the decade, growing 26% compared to 2020.In state conservation units alone, 690 km² were destroyed last year, a result 24% bigger than in 2020. “States carry out actions to combat deforestation, but they end up being insufficient in the face of the increasing devastation that the Amazon is facing. State governments need to go further and make a commitment to intensify inspection actions”, asserts the researcher.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Numbers in the states had strong rising</h2>&nbsp;Among the nine states that constitute the Brazilian Legal Amazon, only Amapá did not show an increase in deforestation in 2021 compared to 2020. In addition to overcoming the devastation recorded in the previous year, Acre, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins also had the largest areas of forest destroyed in 10 years.Historically considered the Brazilian state that leads the advance on the forest in the Amazon, due to extension, the history of occupation and the dynamics of the economy, Pará maintained in 2021 the first place in the ranking of those that most deforest, with 4,037 km² devastated - the equivalent to 39% of what was registered in the entire region in that period. In the state, there were increases in forest chopping in both federal and state areas. In addition, more than half of the ten indigenous lands and ten conservation units that recorded the highest rates of deforestation in 2021 are located in Pará.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/image_12_69a9880fbd.webp" alt="image (12).webp" srcset="https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnail_image_12_69a9880fbd.webp 245w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/small_image_12_69a9880fbd.webp 500w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/medium_image_12_69a9880fbd.webp 750w,https://amazon-vx.s3.amazonaws.com/large_image_12_69a9880fbd.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>(Vinícius Mendonça / Ibama)</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;The second state to deforest the most, Amazonas was the one that presented the biggest growth in deforestation in relation to the previous year. The destruction registered on the Amazonas soil increased from 1,395 km² chopped in 2020 to 2,071 km² devastated in 2021 - a 49% increase. In Amazonas, there was also an increase in deforestation in both federal and state areas.Third in the deforestation ranking in 2021, Mato Grosso devastated 1,504 km² in the period, 38% more than in the previous year. This caused the state to have the second largest increase compared to 2020. Rondônia (1,290 km²) and Acre (889 km²) occupied the fourth and fifth places in deforested area, but Acre was the third with the largest increase compared to with 2020, accumulating 28% growth in advance over the forest, points out Imazon.In the period from August 1st in 2020 to July 31 in 2021, the deforestation rate in the Brazilian Legal Amazon was 13,235 square kilometers (km²). The index calculated by the Project for Monitoring Deforestation in the Legal Amazon by Satellite (Prodes) represents an increase of 21.97% in comparison to the deforestation rate of the previous period. The information was released on November 18th, by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe).The mapping is based on Landsat satellite images and similars, and considers deforestation as the “complete removal of primary forest cover by clear cutting, regardless of the future use of these areas”.According to data from Inpe, the states of Pará, Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Rondônia accumulated 87.25% of this estimated deforestation in the Legal Amazon - with Pará being the state with the highest absolute contribution to this advance (5,257 km2) and also the smallest percentage change in deforestation (7.31%).&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">"Operation's pressure must be kept", says vice-president of the Republic</h2>&nbsp;At the end of last year, the vice president of the Republic, General Hamilton Mourão, stated that it is necessary that the "operation's pressure must be kept" against environmental crimes in the Amazon, but also sustained the need for advances in other areas, such as payment for services. environmental issues and land regularization. Mourão commands the National Council of the Legal Amazon.At the time, Mourão was asked if there would be any adjustment in government actions after the subsequent negative results released by Inpe (National Institute for Space Research). "You have to keep the pressure on operations, right? But you also have to advance other aspects, otherwise we can't solve the problem," he said. "The land regularization and payment for environmental services must advance, so that the landowner understands that having 80% of his area preserved will give him a resource annually and will compensate much more than to be illegal and deforesting", said the vice-president.Debates on the role of environmental services and the regulation of the carbon market were among the topics addressed at the United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP26, held at the end of 2021 in Scotland.There, Brazil committed to end illegal deforestation by 2028. &nbsp;Pará asserts it has reduced deforestation in state areas&nbsp;Regarding the latest reports of deforestation in the Amazon, the Pará State Secretary for the Environment and Sustainability (Semas) has maintained that, according to data from the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (Deter), from the National Research Institute (Inpe), the State showed a reduction in its deforestation rates in 7 of the 12 months of 2021, in areas under State responsibility, in the period from January to December, when the numbers are compared with those of the previous year. In the accumulated, the decrease is 11% - a reduction of 445.15 km².According to Semas, the State also presented a 51% reduction in deforestation throughout the State in December, when comparing the data with the same period in 2020. Among the actions carried out by Pará in the fight against deforestation and with a goal of greenhouse gases reduction in Pará, is the Amazônia Viva (Amazon Alive) operation - which concluded its 19th edition, last December, totaling 273,488.23 hectares of embargoed areas due to illegal deforestation. The data from the Amazônia Viva operation add up to results since when it was launched in the state, in June 2020.Pará also lists other results of the operation: 10,079.70 m³ of wood in logs, seized for illicit exploitation, and seizure of 1,935.76 m³ of sawn wood, also extracted illegally, in addition to 6,521 units of stakes.&nbsp; 355 chainsaws, used to fell trees, and 130 tractors, loaders and excavators used in illegal deforestation were also seized.According to Semas, 50 tractors, loaders and excavators were found in an area of difficult access and destroyed or disabled. In addition, 141 firearms and 660 ammunition were taken out of circulation. In all, 229 camps were also destroyed and 62 illegal mines interdicted, according to the Pará's environmental secretary.&nbsp;<h2 style="margin-left:auto;">Plan also aims attention to mankind</h2>&nbsp;Just before COP26 gained worldwide attention, the secretary of environment and sustainability of Pará, Mauro O'de Almeida, took a delegation to Climate Week, in New York, and to Global Citizen Live - an event with concerts by international artists. There, he signed environmental commitments for Pará against climate change. Chris Martin, lead singer of pop group Coldplay, had previously challenged Amazon governors to push for stronger environmental policies."We made our commitment, which is to create three protected areas, expand forest management by 25% and achieve carbon neutrality by 2036", reiterated O'de Almeida, at the time, citing the Green Recovery Program, signed by a consortium of governors in the region. Semas' commitments were also signed in meetings with partners and an encounter with Aillen Lee, director of the Environmental Conservation Program of Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, an American institution that supports scientific discoveries and environmental conservation."We want an Amazon that gives opportunity to the population, so that it can get out of this unequal dispute for the environment, between surviving and having an environmental agenda. The recovery plan forecasts not only forest restoration, but also opportunities for the population of the Amazon region, almost all of them with low levels of human development, so that it can improve it's life", asserted Almeida.

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Deforested area was 29% bigger in comparison to the previous year. Half of the devastation occurred in federal areas

In 2021, Amazon had the worst deforestation in the decade