In 2022, the Social Forests Program reached two new municipalities - Palmeira and Ponte Alt

Santa Catarina, August 30, 2023 – Klabin is strengthening its family farming program – Social Forests - in Santa Catarina, which helps with the planning of sustainable properties of small and midsized rural producers. Launched in the state in 2020, the program recently arrived at Palmeira and Ponte Alta, in addition to Otacílio Costa, Correia Pinto and Lages, where it has already been functioning, now totaling five municipalities.

In partnership with the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) and Association for the Preservation of Environment and Life (Apremavi), and with support from the state government entity Epagri, the program helps small and midsized rural producers in all stages of production - from adaptation to environmental laws and support in selling their produce to training, property diversification and encouragement to forming associations and cooperatives. The program also has the support of municipal governments, as well as the agriculture, education and social assistance departments.

The Social Forests program’s activities are rolled out on three fronts: economic, social and environmental. On the economic front, for example, the program has helped strengthen production chains at 16 communities, benefiting around 50 family farmers, including two agrarian reform settlements. One of the highlights is the support provided to municipal governments to better meet the requirements of the National School Food Program (PNAE), which supplies food to schools. The program is also supporting the conversion of properties for certification of organic production. Ten properties in Lages and seven in Correia Pinto are included in Sebraetec, the technology consulting program launched by Sebrae to help companies streamline their processes, services and products. With this program, beneficiaries have their costs reduced by 70% as Sebrae covers this percentage.

“The Social Forests Program is essential to help the communities where we operate as it strengthens the production chain and ensures a sustainable and ethical local economy. We are highly optimistic about the economic, social and environmental results that we will deliver to the new rural producers that we will reach out to by expanding the program,” said Uilson Paiva, Social Responsibility and Community Relations manager at Klabin.

For producers, the sale of produce has added value, thanks to the management in an appropriate environment and which goes through the stages of training, property diversification and encouragement to forming associations and cooperatives. The joint discussion about production chains with producers has also been a major driver of the program’s initiatives. Also, fairs are held once a month at the gates of Klabin's Correia Pinto and Otacílio Costa Units where producers showcase and sell their produce, while employees and residents have the opportunity to take fresh produce straight from family farms to their homes.

The collaboration between the Company and other partners of the program also offers constant learning opportunities for family farmers. At Correia Pinto, lectures were held on the goals of the Social Forests Program, by professionals from Apremavi, Sebrae, Epagri and IFSC, who shared their technical and applied knowledge to the region. On August 9, the Program’s 1st Cycle of Lectures began with the theme “Agroforestry Systems: Food safety, income and ecosystem services for family farmers”, which help producers learn more about bean and corn production, agroforestry systems and the possibility of culinary innovations that prioritize native fruits.

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