The year 2026 has been declared by the UN as the International Year of Women Farmers. In the Lower Amazon, a region that includes the territories of Mojuí dos Campos, Santarém, and Belterra, women are leading the implementation of agroecological backyards that combine traditional knowledge with advanced techniques. agroecologyIn the Curuá region of Amapá, it is the women who organize the extraction of essential oils.
Soranda Melo is one of the faces of this transformation. On her property of less than two hectares, she cultivates biodiversity and reaps the rewards of self-sufficiency. “The decision to return [from the city] here was because I became a mother. I wanted security for my daughter,” explains Soranda. “For me, the backyard is a space of peace and stable income.”
Currently, 80% of the producers participating in the Productive Backyards project are women. They embody the strength of an economy that originates around homes and expands into the formal market. With access to inputs and technical assistance, they increase their production and become qualified to participate in programs such as the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and the National School Feeding Program (PNAE).
The project's focus is the implementation or transition to Agroforestry Systems (AFS), which allow for soil revitalization and forest regeneration through intelligent interaction between species. In a region that, despite being Amazonian, faces critical irrigation challenges, the agricultural technicians provided by the project analyze the profile of each property to propose suitable systems that sustain production throughout the year. Agro-industry technical consultant Elinaldo Maia emphasizes: “The goal is to ensure that the family has diversified resources throughout the year, improving their living conditions through a qualified flow of production.”
This development model emerges as a vital alternative in areas where large-scale soybean cultivation puts pressure on small farmers and jeopardizes the region's food security. Through Productive Backyards within the Agroforestry System (AFS) model, it is possible to generate income, prosperity, and keep the forest standing. It is with this purpose that SEBRAE develops a series of activities within the scope of the project. bioeconomystructuring and strengthening economic models based on the sustainable use of renewable biological resources and integrating science, innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental conservation. The project prioritizes value creation, the circular economy, and territorial development, especially in regions of high biodiversity such as the Amazon.
Based on its experience in developing inclusive supply chains, Interelos is the implementing partner for this project, which also includes actions in Amapá. In that state, Interelos develops actions to strengthen the açaí supply chain, especially the açaí from the Bailique and Beira-Amazonas regions, which recently obtained the Protected Designation of Origin seal, as well as the development of the essential oil supply chain in the Curuá region.
Interelos' role encompasses methodological coordination, engagement with producers, and systematic monitoring of the project's social indicators. The project also includes a publication that will systematize the process of implementing productive backyard gardens.