Ify Onyekwere
The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of the state of Maranhão have collaborated to launch the \”Amazon Sustainable Management Project (PAGES).\” This groundbreaking initiative aims to tackle the critical issues of environmental degradation in Maranhão\’s Amazon Forest and the region\’s high rates of poverty and food insecurity.
PAGES seek to empower smallholder farmers and traditional communities and equip them with tools to improve their socioeconomic conditions while promoting the sustainable use of natural resources.
Over the course of six years, PAGES seek to enable vulnerable populations, including family farmers, indigenous peoples, and other traditional communities, to develop and implement sustainable forest management practices. These practices will enhance productivity, promote biodiversity, and safeguard critical ecosystem services.
With a total cost of US$37 million, the project is funded by IFAD\’s contribution of US$17 million, generously donated by the Government of Germany through the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP+). The Government of Maranhão will supplement this contribution with US$16 million, and the project\’s participants will contribute US$4 million towards its implementation.
The project is being carried out by SAF in strategic collaboration with various entities, including the Secretary of State for the Environment and Natural Resources, the Secretary of State for Human Rights and Popular Participation, the Institute of Colonization and Lands of Maranhão, and the State Agency for Agricultural Research and Rural Extension, marks a significant milestone as the first IFAD-funded rural development initiative in Brazil that extends beyond the Northeast semi-arid region known as sertão. It leverages IFAD\’s extensive experience in agroforestry practices, small-scale water infrastructure, and rural organizations to bring sustainable development to a broader area.
Meanwhile, IFAD has been investing in rural development activities in Brazil\’s sertão region since the 1980s, with a total investment of US$1.18 billion. All IFAD-supported projects in the country prioritize supporting and promoting family farming, particularly among vulnerable groups such as indigenous communities, quilombolas, land reform settlers, women, and youth. These projects have benefited approximately 615,400 families, leveraging over US$297 million of IFAD resources.
PAGES represent a crucial step towards addressing the intertwined environmental degradation and poverty challenges in Maranhão\’s Amazon Forest. By implementing sustainable forest management practices, the project aims to combat environmental degradation while improving the socioeconomic conditions of local communities. Field activities are scheduled to commence in the second half of 2023, promising significant benefits for the rural inhabitants of Maranhão and expected to benefit about 80,000 rural populace of Maranhão, with 50% being women and 25% young people.
