The challenge
The restoration of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is focused on large properties, which risks marginalising smallholders.
The solution
Imperial-partnered studies exploring the use of agroforestry by smallholder farmers in Pontal do Paranapanema.
The impact
Action on trust-building that will lead to long-term interdisciplinary partnerships between smallholders and agroforestry.
Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened and biodiverse places on earth and its restoration is one of the biggest conservation challenges for the country. A recent study, jointly conducted by Imperial College London, UCL and the Institute of Zoology, explored the employment of agroforestry by smallholder farms in Pontal do Paranapanema.
Smallholder or family farms are essential to Brazil’s food security, while also providing ecological stepping stones for biodiversity. Despite this, their role in Atlantic Forest restoration has been largely overlooked. This study, led by Dr Morena Mills, Reader in Environmental Policy and Practice, Imperial College London, aims to better understand the relationship between agroforestry and the Movimento Sem Terra (MST) – the Rural Landless Workers’ Movement – in this region in southeast Brazil.
Inclusive approaches to agroforestry
across the country, forest restoration is focused on large farms and driven by legislative requirements and commercial pressure, an approach that runs the risk of marginalising smallholders and excluding them from restoration benefits. To address this, the study team looked at the interaction between MST farming communities and their engagement with agroforestry for restoration.
Restoration and sustainability strategies
Smallholder farms produce most of the fruit and vegetables consumed in the country. To date, there has been a failure to consider the different policy needs of large-scale industrial farming versus smallholder farming communities when designing forest landscape restoration (FLR) strategies. Dr Mills said: “To engage smallholders in restoration, they will need revised policy mechanisms better aligned to current livelihood needs”.
An interdisciplinary approach for success
The study used quantitative and qualitative data to assess farmers’ perceptions of agroforestry measures, barriers to implementation and its impact on wellbeing. Despite many reported benefits, there are still constraints, with the report highlighting the need for tailored policies and financial measures to integrate smallholders into the restoration agenda.
Brazil’s Atlantic Forest provides an ideal backdrop in which to explore interdisciplinary relationships. The study data collected from MST farmers in this region can be used to help reach biome restoration targets while supporting rural livelihoods and national food security for millions of smallholders across the country.