CHALLENGE

The araucaria forest is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the Atlantic Forest. It plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of biodiversity in the high altitude regions of southern Brazil. The conservation of what remains of this forest (less than 3% of its original area) is essential for the continued existence of various species of plants and animals, and for the subsistence of extractive communities. Most of these remnants are found on small rural properties and continue to be threatened by production activities, which gradually advance over areas of the forest. Araucária+ understands that the development of socio-biodiversity chains in the Araucaria forest is one way to change the current degradation of this ecosystem.

DEVELOPMENT

Farmers began to produce their goods in accordance with the Araucária+ sustainable standard and are connected with companies which value sustainable raw materials. The HUB Araucária+ team facilitates these relationships and ensures fair negotiations. Innovation partners are connected to the network, in an effort to generate solutions for the development of production chains in the Araucaria forest. The environmental results obtained by improving the current production model and the articulation of investments for natural conservation, are monitored and communicated by a traceability system. The initiative also promotes direct, strategic actions for forest regeneration, organizing a forest restoration chain in partnership with universities, companies and rural producers.

RESULT

Because of its striking results in environmental conservation, the Araucária+ initiative received recognition from many different sources. In 2014 the Getúlio Vargas Foundation’s Center for Sustainability Studies recognized it as a case of innovation in local development. In 2015 the Banco do Brasil Foundation certified the project as social technology. In 2016 it won the von Martius Sustainability Award in the nature category (this award, sponsored by the Brazil-Germany Commercial Chamber, is recognized as one of the major environmental awards in Brazil). In 2017, it received the Ecology Expression Award in the category of “Socio-Environmental Technologies” (recognized by the Ministry of the Environment as the most important environmental award in Southern Brazil). That year it also received the Fatma Environmental Management Certificate in the “Degraded Area Recovery” category; and, in 2018, it was chosen to compose the “Data base of Practices of the ODS Brazil Awards” sponsored by SEGOV-ODS.