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Support to farmer
Aiba, says president Celestino Zanella, has supplied inputs “for the farmers
to conduct their holdings in balance with production and compliance with
legislation, thus contributing towards what farmers really know how to do:
to produce”. Several projects are developed by the entity and by partners in
this area, as is the case of the Environmental Regulation and Support Center,
with several activities intended to give guidance to the farmers, as far as
environmental legislation goes, where Brazil has implemented one of the
strictest regulations in the world, besides the introduction of best agricultural
practices, withmonitoring services and fight against forest fires.
To this end, use ismadeof resources fromtheBrazilianCotton Institute (IBA),
whichequallyoccurs in theSoil andWaterManagement Project. Another relevant
initiative,whichgivesaviewoflandplanningandgovernance,istheimplementation
ofthePilotPlanonAreaManagementandEnvironmentalPreservation(Apa)ofthe
RiodeJaneiroBasin,state-orientedconservationunit,whichcountsonsupportfrom
theSolidaridadNetworkandfromtheSustainableCommerceInitiative(IDH).Several
activitiesareconductedwiththefocusonproductionsustainability,liketheWater
Potential Project ofWesternBahia,which is conducted jointlywith theFederal
Universityof Viçosa (UFV) and theStategovernment, and reliesonsupport fromthe
Agricultural Development Program(Prodeagro). Together, sayAibaofficials, these
initiatives sustainsteady regional steps forward.
ipal level in the region. These areas amount to a total of 1.9
million hectares.
The reality that is ascertained in the region’s environ-
mental plan, observes Alessandra Chaves, biologist, Doctor
of Philosophy in Botany and director of the Environment
Department at the Bahia Association of Farmers and Irriga-
tors (Aiba), is that the percentage of occupation complies
with what is set forth by the Brazilian Forest Code, which
requires the conservation of at least 20%, iclucing Areas
of Permanent Preservation (APP). Besides several benefits
achieved, he maintains that this is an important contribu-
tion towards the preservation of the water resources.
The director of the sectors emphasizes that “farmers
have transformed sustainable development into an ally
in their activities, associating challenges that include le-
gal and production aspects, along with best agricultural
practices, like appropriate soil and water management,
and the correct disposal of residues”. On the grounds of
these initiatives, they simultaneously achieve efficiency
and sustainability in their enterprises, according to what
was suggested by the support entities and included in
their everyday life.
