T
he forest, in all its aspects, will be present in every corner of
the Events Park in Rincão Del Rey during the 17th Expoag-
ro Afubra, 21 through 23 March 2017. In this edition, the To-
bacco Growers’ Association of Brazil (Afubra) has defined an
unprecedented central theme for the fair: the forest and its
contribution towards sustainable development. Lectures, seminars, de-
bates andexhibitionswill focus on forest products, butwithout overlook-
ing the set of questions pertaining to family farming.
“The reason for Expoagro Afubra is family farming diversification.
What we are doing is to hold debates that are quite clear to the farmers”,
says agronomistMarcoAntonioDornelles, general coordinator of the fair.
He has it that some factors played a fundamental role in establishing this
central guideline, like the fact that thenational forest-based industry rep-
resents only 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Rio Grande do
Sul and in the Valleys of Rio Pardo and Taquari, where the event occurs.
The above regions are home to one of the highest percentages of pre-
served native forests and planted forests in the State. “On farms where
tobacco is grown, almost one third are either native or planted forests”,
he notes.
The theme is comprehensive, as forest products fit into environmen-
tal, economic, social and energy questions, among others. “In themean-
time, the farmers are getting more confused about legislation, particu-
larly in questions like forest code, legal reservation, rural environmental
register, biodiversity, carbon credits, among other problems that are un-
known to them, but will sooner or later knock at their doors”, says Dor-
nelles. He also emphasizes that environmental sustainability on the
farms and regions also includes the role of the forests as protectors of
water sources and streamside forests, whilst providing shelter for animal
and vegetable species. Theofficial understands that lots of tobacco farm-
ers have already adhered to integrated crop-livestock-forestry on their
farms, but there is need to move forward within this context, supported
by technical guidelines.
“Some 30 years ago, Afubra conducteda survey of thedecrease in for-
ests in the tobacco growing region and created a nursery for the produc-
tion of eucalyptus seedlings to meet the needs of the farmers. Now, this
nursery has expanded its operation area, not only for reforestation pur-
poses, but also for income diversification on the holding, with the pro-
duction of native and exotic tree seedlings, besides other types of culti-
vations”, he recalls.
“Now, there are official studies that confirmthat the tobacco growing
regions set an example of how to preserve native forests, as they plant
the trees they consume. In quantities in excess of their needs”, he says.
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