Reforestation and Environmental Education in Brazil
TREES AND SUPPORTING PLANTS
HECTARES
FARMERS
TOTAL COMMUNITY MEMBER IMPACTED
HOST ORGANIZATION
The Association for Agricultural, Education and Environment Cooperation (ACAEMPE)
LOCATION
Pernambuco, Brazil
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Grow Ahead partnered with The Association for Agricultural, Education and Environment Cooperation (ACAEMPE), an organization of farmers in Pernambuco, Brazil, to plant 80,000 native species and adapted fruit trees and promote food sovereignty in the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes of Brazil.
Rural workers and their families–through family centers, youth groups, associations and cooperatives–worked with teams of educators and technicians to collectively implement the project and build educational programming.
The campaign supported:
- The installation of a new nursery for seedlings of native species representing native biodiversity
- The production of 80,000 seedlings of 20 species in the region
- The recovery of native forests through introducing native forage species and promoting agroecological land management.
- Income generation through planting native leguminous seedlings (thrush) in riverside regions (riparian forest recovery).
- The creation of work plans for the implementation of new technologies for reforestation and environmental preservation, adapted to the Brazilian northeast
- The creation of Green Schools in adjacent communities
- The development a training program for teachers and members and adapting the curriculum to the rural environment of schools in agrarian reform areas.
- The involvement of family centers, youth groups, associations and cooperatives, schools, all in implementation of the project. They will partner with the teams of educators, monitors and the project's technical team to be agents of dissemination, awareness and guidance of families in their centers.
The goal of the project was not only working to preserve and regenerate the forests, but also to build knowledge and the educational foundation needed for present and future generations to take care of the forest biomes.
ACAEMPE has been focusing on community and youth-led programming on topics ranging from; appreciation of rural life, integrating youth into the production process, encouraging agroecological production and practices, implementation of medicinal gardens and organic community gardens, small animal breeding, the gender issue in rural life, women's participation in family sustainability, the production of healthy foods and making handicrafts using raw material.
ACAEMPE’s work is grounded in social justice and solidarity, focusing on promoting collective action and cooperation as the foundation of environmental education. This supports individuals and families as they come together to raise consciousness about the environmental and social needs of the communities to create a sustainable vision for human, social, economic and environmental transformation.
The Association for Agricultural Cooperation, Education and the Environment of the state of Pernambuco (ACAEMPE) is an organization composed of local rural communities that works to strengthen the families and communities in Pernambuco, Brazil. Based on a process of constant dialogue with the community, the Association works to diagnose the most relevant topics to be developed, such as: the interrelationship of families, communication and culture, education, safety, agroecological production, health, and sustainability.
ACAEMPE is focused on education and promotes courses and activities to promote reflection over themes like environment protection, sustainable agriculture, and professional training for better work conditions in agriculture, offered for women, men, youth, and children.
The objective is to stimulate agricultural development, economic and social progress in the various communities by promoting the exchange of ideas around agricultural experiences, defending social interests, alternative technology in agriculture and developing forms of cooperative labor in agricultural production.
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