Photo of ALAN DE LA CRUZ from Unsplash

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Claudia Fabó Cartas within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the local knowledge and disaster management research line.  Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

ATIX Mulher, Brazil

ATIX Mulher (Brazil) is the female branch of the Indigenous Women’s Movement of the Xingu Indigenous Reservation Association. During the pandemic in 2020, the inhabitants of the Xingu Indigenous Reservation faced significant challenges in terms of food security. ATIX Mulher launched campaigns to secure food, hygiene products, and agricultural tools for the 16 ethnic groups residing in the reservation. They facilitated food donations and initiated a collective crowdfunding effort that benefited 130 villages. Presently, the sale of items such as crafts and honey, produced by the villagers, helps generate income to sustain small agriculture-based businesses.

Empowering indigenous women

Watatakalu Yawalapiti, an artist, activist, and entrepreneur from the Yawalapiti ethnicity, is the founder of ATIX Mulher. Traditional indigenous communities in the Xingu Area often prioritize male perspectives, which has made the leadership role of Watatakalu and the actions of ATIX Mulher controversial among some men, including local leaders. However, Watatakalu’s multilingual abilities and her ability to communicate effectively with women from different ethnicities have enabled her to establish a network of like-minded women who share a desire to overcome sexist barriers from an indigenous perspective.

Breaking barriers

ATIX Mulher stands out by promoting the empowerment of indigenous women through their own perspectives, without automatically importing concepts that are foreign to their worldview or customs. This approach fosters greater acceptance within the communities and facilitates genuine progress in female emancipation.

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Photo by Freepik

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Flavio Augusto Lira Nascimento within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the farm to fork research line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Cocoa More Sustainable, Brazil

Collaborative Conservation

Starting in 2012, in the municipality of São Félix do Xingu, in southeastern Pará, the initiative has supported 310 family members with the “Cocoa More Sustainable” project to enhance the recovery and regeneration of around 1,000 hectares of cocoa plantations through agroforestry systems.  

Community associations and private companies work together to encourage small farmers to recover deforested areas through the planting of cacao and local trees, thus fostering low-carbon family farming. The project is part of The Nature Conservancy. 

As part of the Nature Conservancy, the ambitious project has local farmers working with local associations and private companies. The main actors, however, are the farmers themselves. Although local small farmers are the main actors of change, this initiative work together with relevant socio-economic actors for example in partnership with local private companies and large farmers have made the process easier.  

A replicable model for sustainable farming

The challenges have stemmed from the current federal government’s lenience in promoting reforestation projects, which does not particularly inspire large farmers to cooperate with ecologically driven small producers. 

Cacau Floresta seems easily replicable where there is local knowledge of forest systems, climate and land susceptibility for cacao production and the possibility of creating a network of interested buyers both regionally and abroad.  

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Photo: Tadeu Jnr on Unsplash

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Flavio Augusto Lira Nascimento within  ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Biodiversity Research Line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

ASPERQD, Brazil

Gathering local knowledge for reparation

In 2015, the Fundão Rejects Dam breach in Minas Gerais threw millions of tons of toxic minerals into the river Doce, which were carried through 600 km until Linhares, where the quilombo is located, heavily impacting the area. ASPERQD, Association of Fishermen and Extractivists and Remanescents of Quilombo de Degredo, has thus worked with local inhabitants and indigenous communities, seeking reparations and gathering local knowledge. The community of change-makers has been a mobilizing agent, developing projects striving at socioeconomic and cultural improvement of its members.

The non-profit association was founded in 2004 and has been remarkably successful in reaching its goals with professionalism and by including the community and city officials; the members have a high degree of legal and technical knowledge concerning land use, water, local production, etc.

Keeping the traditions and values of the community alive

The community is officially recognized as a Quilombo (self-governing polities originating from run-away slaves). As such, it has a strong ethnic component when keeping the traditions and values of these ancient communities alive, fostering their symbiotic relationship with nature.

The project is formed by members of the remaining Quilombo family branches and other members of the traditional community, created with several purposes, among them:

• Joining efforts to fight for common objectives while maintaining the traditional identity and preserving local customs.
• Contributing to the socio-environmental, cultural, economic and technological development of its associate
• Promoting the defense of the collective and ethnic interests of the Remnant Community of Quilombo do Degredo.

This initiative can be replicated where disenfranchised ancient ethnic minorities want to claim their ancestor lands and/or areas of activity working in partnership with local and national authorities while having the input of volunteers who qualify their technical and legal knowledge to advance their interests.

Find out more here.

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