08 Feb Atlantic Forest Connection Project
Throughout Brazilian history, the Atlantic Forest biome has been extensively explored for several reasons, such as opening roads, building cities, cultivating crops, installing pastures for cattle or for pure poorly controlled forest exploitation, the fact is that currently only about 7% of the original forest cover of the Atlantic Forest remains (GAMBARINI, sd). In addition, this biome corresponds to the most densely populated area in Brazil, which brings several environmental problems that can already be felt by those who live in the region “occupied” by the biome, such as lack of water, increase in average temperature, loss of quality of the soil and decreased biodiversity.
Knowing this problem, the Conexão Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Forest Connection) Project has been working together on several fronts to try to recover and minimize the environmental pressure exerted on the biome, using a methodology that also aims at financial and productive reward for those rural producers who colaborate. Payment for environmental services is a key element for the producer to engage in the project, since the financial incentive works as a stimulus, subsequently attracting other benefits to rural properties, such as, for example, the improvement and conservation of the soil and water.
In the Zona da Mata region of Minas Gerais state, where the municipality of Viçosa is located, a city in which part of the Canopée team resides, a number close to 60,000 seedlings of native and exotic species were planted between October 2020 and January 2021. This planting was carried out on 18 rural properties, and is expected to increase the number of seedlings planted in 2021, so if any rural owner has a degraded area and wants to participate in the Atlantic Forest Connection, just follow the publications on the Finatec website, or on the website of the project itself (Conexão Mata Atlântica (mctic.gov.br)) and submit the required documentation through the public selection notice.
Sources:
GAMBARINI, Adriano. Mata Atlântica luta pela sobrevivência. WWF Brasil. Disponível em: Mata Atlântica | WWF Brasil. Acesso em: 28/01/2021.
Zona da Mata tem 60 mil mudas plantadas em ação de reflorestamento do Projeto Conexão Mata Atlântica. G1 Zona da Mata, 24 de janeiro de 2021. Disponível em: Zona da Mata tem 60 mil mudas plantadas em ação de reflorestamento do Projeto Conexão Mata Atlântica | Zona da Mata | G1 (globo.com). Acesso em: 27/01/2021.