, is the chocolate industrys most prestigious global event. The almonds selected for the award are recognized as being of high quality.
Bioeconomy
Pará and Bahia are the largest cocoa producers in Brazil, with Pará crops located within the Amazon Forest. Cocoa is a native species of the biome, and its cultivation unites the socioeconomic development of local communities with the preservation of native vegetation.
Cocoa farming allows the implementation of highly sustainable production systems, contributing to a diversified, regenerative and low-carbon agriculture.
Reforestation project with socioeconomic development
For four years, João Evangelista has been one of the beneficiaries of the Inclusive and Sustainable Territories in the Amazon program, RestaurAmazônia conceived and developed by Solidaridad since 2016. The initiative gained new momentum with RestaurAmazônia, one of the six projects approved in 2021 by the JBS Amazon Fund, which aims to promote actions for the conservation and preservation of the forest, improving the quality of life of local communities and scientific and technological development in the region. The first six projects will receive financial support of R$50 million from the Fund.
The result of RestaurAmazônia demonstrates that it is possible to combine the preservation of the environment with socioeconomic development. The work of Mr. João Evangelista is a practical example of the recovery of deforested areas in agroforestry systems, contributing to the growth of the small producer and recovering areas of the Amazon Forest, explains Joanita Maestri Karoleski, president of the JBS Amazon Fund.
Owner of a 4.5-hectare property, the producer says that, before the project, there was deforested land on the site, which was practically taken over by grass. With the technical assistance provided by Solidaridad and investment in cocoa planting, Evangelistas land was recovered and today cultivates 6,000 cocoa trees with more than 30 varieties of plants, including 300 mahogany trees.
Before, people felled the trees, but I planted them and today they are well developed, with very beautiful and wide crowns, he says. For him, the correct path for the producer is to work with the land without depending on deforestation to increase productivity. Today, we have help from professionals so that we know how to produce more and, at the same time, preserve the forest. Deforesting and setting fires are destructive practices that must be abolished, he concludes.