Local Context

The project aims to help 5 rural communities that are part of the Environmental Protection Area of the Bananal Island region in Tocantins adopt practices that contribute to sustainable development. The activities improve the quality of life, while searching for new markets. The settlements were chosen after a survey of oilseeds from which vegetable oil can be extracted. The survey showed that there was an abundance of species with this potential in the region. The area engaged in project activities involves the following communities and settlements: Pium (Assentamento Floresta, Pericatu e Macaúba), Caseara (Assentamento 1° de Maio e Onalício Barros). The project lasted between August 2009 and January 2011 and was funded by Ventura Institute.

Project Description

The project included community capacity-building; recovery area; processing and recovery unit; and dissemination of best practices. The main goal  was to implement a model unit for processing vegetable oils from plants in the native Cerrado to be used by small-scale producers in the southwestern region of Tocantins. Some results: training of one group of 50 producers from the 5 settlements included in the project activity; plantation of 10 acres with native plants to extract oil; increasing the average monthly salary to at least a minimum income level for at least 50 families; commercialization of the oils developed at the processing unit; improvement of the sustainability resources of the groups involved;  information dissemination for project replication in other communities; creation of an assistance fund with the income generated by the project activity to support the invovled group.