(2)Improving Family Farming as a Sustainable Development Tool of Serrote da Laje Project

摘要

The Serrote da Laje Project, owned by Aura Minerals through its subsidiary Minera??o Vale Verde (MVV), is a greenfield sulphide & oxide copper project located in the State of Alagoas, Brazil, in a low Human Development Index area, with an economy based on subsistence farming. The project is socially sensitive, given that 279 families were residents on the lands designated for the project, all of them dependent of farming activities and government social support for their livelihoods. To develop a relationship of trust with local communities in order to carry out a resettlement program under its environment and sustainability policy, and based in the socioeconomic census, MVV created the Partner Farmer Program. The program focused on the development of the local agricultural potential, by evaluating and introducing new crops and cultures, implementing improved farming techniques and better farmer training. The main objective was to consolidate the relationship with these stakeholders and help them improve their standards of living in order to facilitate the resettlement program, necessary for the project construction and operation. The program consisted of simultaneous experimental and commercial phases. During the experimental phase, multiple test crops and cultures were introduced by MVV and followed by the farmers. For the commercial phase, local farmers cultivated selected crops, with technical support made available by MVV. The productivity obtained was more than six times above the state average for crop yields in the two years of the program. The crop production was commercialized and the profit distributed among the participants. The resettlement plan was carried out as planned, with ongoing social management, consolidating a transparent and trustful relationship with the local community. Before the second year, the program was suspended for the start-up of the relocation activities, but the information and knowledge of the program have been developed with some technical assistance to the resettled families.