After years of legal disputes, the Association of Rural Producers of the Bom Futuro II Branch (Apiteua), established in the settlement of Fazenda Malhada da Areia in Moju (PA), has reached an agreement with Grupo Brasil BioFuels (BBF) to consolidate a sustainable family farming model on the company's private property. Belonging to the Bom Futuro community, the producers have been on the site for over eight years.
Initially made up of 16 families who grew small crops of peppers, legumes, fruit and vegetables for the local market and their own consumption, the community will benefit from the regularization of subsistence agriculture with the potential to generate income. The first stage of the agreement involves the purchase of oil palm fruit by the company, which is the largest palm oil producer in Latin America.
For Lenilza Reis, the association's representative, the partnership is crucial to the permanence of local families and subsequent generations.
" Grupo BBF listened to us, supported us and now we are celebrating this new milestone, which will provide more dignity and better conditions for our families. We are very happy with this new moment," he said.
Fábio Pacheco, Grupo BBF's agricultural director, stresses the importance of the partnership in consolidating sustainable practices. "Year after year, Grupo BBF has strengthened its Family Farming program in the state of Pará, providing technical assistance, buying fruit at competitive prices and economically developing the communities around our operations. Having the families of the Association as our partners after years of legal litigation symbolizes a new moment for the company that needs to be celebrated by everyone," he said.
Currently, Grupo BBF 's Family Farming program benefits more than 400 families, providing more than 2,000 free technical assistances in the last year alone. The effort aims to promote technical qualification and improve oil palm cultivation practices in Pará, for the sustainable development of the region.
