In recent years it has become clear that we can no longer maintain the same standards of production and consumption that we all have become accustomed to. The relationship that we’ve built between economic development and large-scale resource extraction is unsustainable. In addition, the current economic crisis threatens the quality of life so many take for granted. Economic institutions have been rocked, peak oil development jeopardizes world energy supplies, and climate change is increasingly threatening food production around the globe.
The Center for Socio-Environmental Support (CASA), the Brazilian member of the Greengrants Alliance of Funds, is supporting effective action and ways of life that are already making a difference. Though often obscured by economies of scale, these movements are cooling the planet and building the foundation for a more sustainable economic model the world needs to survive the future.
A Proactive Stance: Traditional Knowledge for a Modern Challenge
Brazil, one of the top contributors to climate change from deforestation, is a key player in these tumultuous times. The connection between forests and climate is at the top of international discussions, and Brazil, home to 60 percent of the planet’s remaining tropical rainforests, has an enormous responsibility to do its part.
With support from CASA, Lucas and Simone Oliveira and their three children are combining traditional knowledge with innovative technologies to restore an important conservation area of native Atlantic forest, known for its high level of biodiversity. They founded the Association of Beekeepers, Farmers, and Residents of Lapinha (AmaLapinha) to organize the community and produce food in an integrated, climate-conscious way. This ‘agroecology’ system focuses on three important targets: lower emissions of greenhouse gases, sequestration of gases in the atmosphere, and adapting to the effects of climate change.
AmaLapinha is also working with another CASA grantee, Earth Life Network, to build alliances between farmers and consumers in a nearby city, Belo Horizonte. The idea started with a group of consumers who wanted to eat good and healthy food, while also paying a fair price to farmers. Their solution: create an alliance directly with local farmers. Earth Life established farmers’ markets, where there is an open exchange of products, knowledge, and environmental services—building relationships through an economy of cooperation and solidarity. Together, they are supporting mutually beneficial economic ties and sustainable livelihoods, while also reducing emissions from production, transportation, and consumption.
Lucas Oliveira has become a leader in fighting climate change through agroecology design: “We began our work just to survive, eating the food from our garden and taking care of the nature and water on our land for ourselves. With support in the form of grants from CASA and Greengrants, we saw an opportunity to help our community and our planet. Once we were connected with the Earth Life Network, we began to understand the power of our work and our distinct way of life. Soon after, we were invited to share our experience and success with other communities. Now we have so much momentum. We want to continue doing what’s best for ourselves, for our community, and for our planet.”
Many Strategies, One Goal
While CASA supports smaller-scale activities that support economic development and environmental health, we also look for groups that encourage social dialogues. One example comes from the state of Santa Catarina, where a rare climate phenomenon took place for the first time in the South Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Catarina landed in southern Brazil in 2004 and had severe impacts on livelihoods and the environment in this region. Nature Members held meetings with local people to discuss their needs and is sent letters to the government to request investments in preventing and mitigating further storm impacts. The organization is also editing a documentary that highlights the voices of those who were directly affected but whose needs have so far been largely ignored.
In addition to supporting actions that build a community’s capacity to adapt and innovate, CASA also focuses on the importance of strengthening groups working to save threatened rivers and forests. One example is the Madeira Life Institute, which plays a critical role in mobilizing indigenous communities along the Madeira River. This region is the largest and most important tributary of the Amazon Basin that is being destroyed by a hydroelectric complex. Their aim is to empower local communities to fight for the protection of their environment and to reshape the development paradigm that encourages environmentally destructive practices. The Amazon’s incredible biodiversity is renowned, and new research confirms the critical role it plays in regulating the climate of the Americas. For more on this, visit the International Rivers website.
Another CASA strategy for change is fostering the growth of new organizations and the next generation of environmentalism. A small grant to Youth Network for the Environment—a national network for action and information exchange—is a clear demonstration of how increasing communication among young leaders can produce significant results. The grant was used to create an interactive website that hosts hundreds of meetings, circulates information, and has sent out thousands of motivating messages about environmental sustainability throughout Brazil. One institution in the network is creating a training school working to address issues related to climate change, food sovereignty, and safety. The goal is to jumpstart debate on the issue among young people, encouraging them to participate in an international climate change campaign. The far-reaching networks of this small organization are extremely powerful and they are revitalizing environmental education in small cities across the country.
Working Together in Solidarity
These inspiring examples underline the importance of our small grants in supporting improvements in environmental practices and community development. Much more than just providing funding, together, we are supporting groups that are designing and employing concrete solutions to local and global problems. We offer support through a new model that values solidarity and respect not only between individuals, but between people and nature. The best part of this constructive movement is that everyone can make a difference. All of us have some positive force to make the world a better place, and in times like these, every little bit counts. The Greengrants Alliance of Funds connects people around the world and reminds us that nobody is fighting alone.