Laudes Foundation, in partnership with IDH, is investing €3 million into regenerating landscapes in Brazil’s Caatinga biome, one of the world’s most biodiverse semi-arid regions. The funding will also be aimed at tackling issues of social inequality and food insecurity.

The Caatinga in Brazil. Photo credit: Unsplash

The Caatinga in northeast Brazil has a population of over 25 million people and is a globally important semi-arid area home to over 2,000 species of plants and animals. It is a designated area that combines environmental conservation, human development, and sustainable production practices.

‘This initial investment will be key to building a strong governance system that includes community and producer organizations, along with businesses, as critical stakeholders in decision-making. Ultimately, a transition to an inclusive and positive climate economy requires all stakeholders to share a common agenda and incentive for change’, said Anita Chester, Head of Materials at Laudes India.

In the Caatinga, the aim is to reduce the illegal conversion of land, while at the same time increasing farmers’ productivity and close the gap of living income. This collaboration will focus on the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba and Pernambuco in the north-eastern part of Brazil, implementing a sustainable landscapes approach that is built on a four-step methodology that includes studying the territory, building a territorial alliance, setting goals, and publicly formalising the agreement.

‘IDH’s PPI model brings together a broad group of partners including local government, farmers, civil society, financial institutions, and local and international companies, to develop long-term alliances that address issues of sustainable production, environmental preservation and social inclusion. This is a territorial strategy that IDH already implements in 22 territories, across 13 countries’, said Daniela Mariuzzo, Executive Director at IDH Brazil.

The Caatinga is one of the most degraded biomes in Brazil, with around 60 per cent of the area susceptible to desertification due to factors such as climate change, and unsustainable farming. As a result, the cultivation of crops such as corn, cotton and beans are at high risk, while regional water shortages are now affecting over 12 million people.

Simon Hungin is a freelance writer that supports Alliance magazine.

Editor’s note 6 February 2023: The headline was amended from ‘Laudes Foundation invests €3m in regenerating biodiversity in Brazil’ to ‘Laudes Foundation invests €3m in regenerating landscapes in Brazil’. Regenerating biodiversity is an end goal of the project, but more broadly it will focus on regenerating landscapes. The edit was made to provide clarity.