The project is the result of a partnership between the Renova Foundation and the Northeast Environmental Research Center (CEPAN) and will be launched on 12/3
On December 3rd, the project of the Doce River Basin Seed and Seedling Network will be launched, covering the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Renova Foundation and the Northeast Environmental Research Center (CEPAN), with the collaboration of the Xingu Seed Network Association (ARSX) and the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar).
The event will take place in Governador Valadares (MG) in the auditorium of the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais (IFMG) and will be open to the public. Representatives of the Foundation, CEPAN, UFSCar and ARSX, will present the main activities of the project, which will last three years and will be inserted in the areas where the Program for Recovery of Springs, Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) and water recharge of the Renova Foundation is active.
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This project was created due to the high demand for seeds and seedlings for the execution of these programs that focuses on the recovery of the Doce River Basin and it goes beyond just hiring seed suppliers. In practice, the Seed Network will move the seed and seedling supply chain to the affected region.
The proposal is that the Network can sell seeds not only to the Renova Foundation, but also to buyers from other states in Brazil that include the Atlantic Forest biome. The initiative, therefore, aims to boost a forest-based economy in the region and generate socioeconomic opportunities.
The project will support the Renova Foundation’s goal of restoring 5,000 springs and 40,000 hectares of PPAs. “The Seed Network can count on associations and educational institutions present in the scope area of the Doce River Basin to assist in the development of activities and contribute to the success of the actions,” explains Renova Foundation socio-environmental analyst Felipe Tieppo.
Methodologies and strategies that favor an increased scale and the inclusion of people in the forest restoration production chain will be implemented in order to achieve the goals within the established deadlines. “This way, the Seed and Seedling Network will assist in the structuring of this supply chain, especially the input producers [native seeds and seedlings], who are a fundamental link of this activity,” says Severino Ribeiro, CEPAN’s CEO.
Seed and Seedling Networks
The seed and seedling networks intend to work the collection process, presenting another possible activity for the future members of the network and to consolidate another methodology option for the recovery of degraded areas in the Doce River Basin: direct sowing, which offers potential for rapid soil covering with low implementation cost.
The project foresees the mobilization of key people, technical and administrative training, formalization of the Network as an independent association and technical and commercial support and monitoring. It will also create a commercial application and a Seed House, which will serve as a seed distribution point.