The Mixed Agricultural Cooperative of Tomé-Açu (CAMTA) is a world reference in agroforestry systems, presenting hundreds of intercropped systems with forest and agricultural species.
The Dendê SAF is a SAFTA, resulting from pioneering research that developed an agroforestry system for palm oil (dendê) production and demonstrated the good performance of this oilseed in biodiverse systems, generating a resilient system that promotes a positive impact on the supply chain of this commodity. This innovative system combines the planting of palm oil (or dendê) with forest species, fruit trees, and short-cycle crops, including legumes that contribute to the entry of diverse organic matter into the soil.
The research was conducted by Natura in partnership with the Mixed Agricultural Cooperative of Tomé-Açu (CAMTA) and Embrapa (Eastern Amazon and Western Amazon). The project involved the participation of farmers, researchers, technicians, and students and received support from Finep in 2008 and USAID in 2016.
The Dendê SAF is a sustainable innovation focused on soil health, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration (in plants and soil), and income diversification, promoting various socioeconomic and environmental benefits. The agroecological management adopted in the eight Dendê SAF models studied over 12 years favored biological control of pests and diseases, with low occurrence of phytosanitary and nutritional problems in the systems.
The dendê showed good development and productivity, along with cocoa. The harvests of pepper, açaí, bacaba, andiroba, guanandi, taperebá, and other crops generate various products (such as fruits, heart of palm, pulp, and oil), and the presence of Amazonian species threatened with extinction (such as ucuúba, mahogany, and ipê) increases the biological value of this biodiverse system.
The palm oil is an essential ingredient, widely used in various industries, including cosmetics, food, and textiles. Its sustainable production in SAF contributes to a greener and more inclusive future, showing how it is possible to leverage the local economy while conserving the environment. 🌿🌎