PROJETO FAZENDA MORRO DO FOGO - CONSERVAÇÃO DO CERRADO

The Morro do Fogo Farm Project aims to protect, conserve and develop reforestation and revegetation actions in the pasture areas present in the project area. Thus, this project contributes to mitigating climate change by focusing on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and reforestation, revegetation and afforestation (ARR), in order to conserve the Cerrado Forest standing, and recover areas previously with activities of livestock. The Morro do Fogo Farm is located in the municipality of Alto Araguaia – Mato Grosso, in the center-west of Brazil.

The Cerrado is one of the regions with the greatest biodiversity in the world, and it is estimated that it has more than 6 thousand species of trees and 800 species of birds. More than 40% of woody plant species and 50% of bees are thought to be endemic. Alongside the Atlantic Forest, it is considered one of the world's hotspots, that is, one of the richest and most threatened biomes in the world.

The main threats to the Cerrado's biodiversity are related to two economic activities: intensive grain monoculture and low-technology extensive livestock. The use of techniques for the intensive use of soils has, for years, led to the depletion of local resources. The indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers has also contaminated the soil and water. The few blocks of native vegetation still unaltered in the Cerrado must be considered a priority for the implementation of protected areas, since only 0.85% of the Cerrado is officially in conservation units.

The Morro do Fogo Farm Project aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation, protecting the standing forest, and reforest the pasture areas, so the project will protect and restore the native forest, maintaining and increasing the carbon stock of the trees, conserving fauna, flora, water resources, soil quality, in addition to contributing to the mitigation of climate change. This area is embedded in a region of intense agriculture and livestock, being one of the few areas still with secondary vegetation, which has been reconstituting itself in the last 30 years. This project also ensures actions linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, of which it has a special connection with SDGs 6, 13, 15.

     GOAL 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of safe drinking water and sanitation for all.

     Goal: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.

     Improving water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing the release of hazardous chemicals and materials.

     GOAL 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts;

     Goal: Improve education, raise awareness and human and institutional capacity on mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning of climate change.

     OBJECTIVE 15: Protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss;

     Goal: Mobilize and significantly increase, from all sources, financial resources for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.

     Strengthen support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking in protected species, including through increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities.

The project area has 2,102.83 hectares of native vegetation inserted between the Forested Savannah and Arborizada Savannah transitions (Cerrado Stricto Sensu), and features two project categories, ARR and REDD (REDD_PL and REDD_PA). Annually, the project will remove 67,830.74 tCO2e through reforestation/revegetation of pastures and will avoid emissions of 355,551.05 tCO2e from deforestation or degradation, so this project brings benefits to the climate, biodiversity, water and soil of the Cerrado.