In the state of Tocantins, the project “Use of social technologies to reduce deforestation” includes the implementation of 30 PAIS (Integrated and Sustainable Agroecological Project) gardens in the territories affected by the Estreito Hydroelectric Power Plant – Ma/TO. The affected families benefiting from the project are located in the municipalities of Babaçulândia- TO and Filadélfia- TO. In recent months the project has made significant progress with the arrival of the water tanks, the demarcation and construction of the PAIS gardens and the implementation of the chicken coops. A total of 21 gardens have been built, with nine more to go by the end of November.

 

For Chirlene Alves, a victim from the Ilha Verde community, the project has come at a good time “because it will help families in the community to eat healthier and earn extra income”. But “above all, to show people the importance of agroecological products, because nowadays people only use agrotoxins and here in the Ilha Verde community we don’t have that, it’s going to be a healthy vegetable”. According to Chirlene, “the families are very happy and anxious about the arrival of the kits, and this shows that we really want  land to work on”.

 

Chirlene reports that the farmers were so excited that they’ve already started planting the beds: “They’re almost all ready, we’re just waiting for the rest of the material to arrive to complete the implementation”. She also emphasized the sustainability of the project: “We are planting more trees and preserving the native ones, understanding the importance of avoiding deforestation to ensure our permanence in the territory”. Valderice Pereira, also affected in the region, reaffirms: “We are doing reforestation, not devastation”. She also said that the project had “strengthened the idea of autonomy for the families and communities that benefited, and demonstrated that what we want is land to produce and guarantee our livelihoods”. In closing, a wish: “the families of the Ilha Verde community want us to be successful, so that the project will grow stronger and one day be able to include all the families affected by the Estreito Hydroelectric Plant.

 

The project is an achievement of the Movement of People Affected by Dams (Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens – MAB), carried out by the Interstate Agricultural Development Association (Associação de Desenvolvimento Agrícola Interestadual – ADAI) in partnership with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social – BNDES).