Due to the high demand, Ativa Barcarena has increased the number of beneficiaries, from the 90 initially planned to 99, serving all qualified farmers during the selection for the rural technical assistance cycle. The project received 164 applications from family farmers from communities in various areas of Barcarena, including the island region.

The positive farmers’ response to the opportunity is the validation of a proposal based on the characteristics and demands of local family agriculture. "We designed the entire process of publicizing and selecting the public notice so that this opportunity would reach all family farmers in the municipality, even with restricted access to communication channels and the isolation resulting from the pandemic," says Kátia Aguiar, Hydro's social program specialist.

The number of registrations proves the interest and willingness of local family farmers to improve their production. All the enrolled went through the stage of socio-productive characterization, with agronomists’ visits to the productive areas of the families to identify the conditions of agricultural production’s organization of each registered farmer and verify the fulfillment of the requirements of the public notice.

As financial supporter of the project, Hydro Sustainability Fund (HSF) guaranteed, together with the company's social responsibility area, the expansion of the number of beneficiaries already in the first cycle of technical training. "This decision is in line with the objective of the Sustainability Fund to finance projects that contribute to sustainable development, with investment lines based on real demands of the territory," says Eduardo Figueiredo, Director of Hydro Sustainability Fund and Director of Territorial Development of Hydro.

Now the 99 participants are preparing to begin the one-year cycle of technical monitoring with specialized professionals who will help to improve the agricultural production. All those selected will sign a term of commitment to participate in the project, committing themselves to building a work agenda in partnership with the project's team of agronomists and providing information for the elaboration of the technical project aimed at their Family Production Unit.

Check the public list of the 99 selected farmers who will participate, from January 2021, in the first cycle of technical assistance of Ativa Barcarena.

Union to overcome challenges

The rural technical assistance that will be offered to the family farmers of the Ativa Barcarena project is part of the Travessia Barcarena program, a result of the articulation of Hydro Sustainability Fund with multidisciplinary partners to bring humanitarian aid to families and organizations in the region, prioritizing the acquisition of local products and services and providing technical training. The program plans actions related to the promotion of good practices related to the pandemic and the allocation of resources for the donation of local agri-food products. In addition to Hydro, the free rural technical assistance project has financial support from FSH, USAID, NPI Expand, Plataforma Parceiros pela Amazônia - PPA and SITAWI Finanças do Bem through the PPA Solidarity initiative. The Peabiru Institute is the implementing partner of the initiative.

About PPA Solidarity

USAID, NPI Expand, the Partner Platform for the Amazon (PPA) and SITAWI Finanças do Bem have teamed up to create a partnership to help combat COVID-19 in Brazil. The "PPA Solidarity: Response to COVID-19 in the Amazon" is an initiative that engages the private sector in strategic partnerships to leverage innovative and scalable solutions to strengthen the rapid response to emergencies and to combat COVID-19. The initiative will work with partners from civil society and the private sector on four lines of action: Mobilize communication campaigns on risks and community engagement in mitigation and protection measures to address COVID-19 and empower vulnerable and/or isolated communities to protect themselves from exposure and transmission of COVID-19; Promote infection prevention and control measures by COVID-19 in health facilities and communities; Support the local health system (hospitals, health centers and community health units/services) to respond and control COVID-19 through health services and surveillance; Support entrepreneurs, small social impact businesses and startups, producer groups and cooperatives with small financial contributions, business advisory services and access to low-interest loans or micro-credit.