Instituto Centro de Vida
The ICV is a climate justice group founded in Brazil in 1991. This organization connects governments, communities, and other organizations to ethically share solutions towards environmental justice. The ICV collects investments internationally and puts them towards projects of interest, sustainable cattle ranching, for one.
Cattle Ranch Activism
The ICV introduced an initiative called Novo Campo in 2012 that is centered around reducing deforestation due to ranching. This initiative works with banks and local farmers to reduce the need for further deforestation and restore deforested land. Novo Campo encourages beef producers to get their products certified as deforestation-free, expands local farm production, and reduces carbon emissions in the Amazon.
The ICV tailors what are essentially subsidies for farmers and companies that invest in sustainable farming machinery and practices, and influence public policy to prevent further deforestation while ensuring ethical action by including Indigenous peoples and small farmers in the conversation.
What Can This Website Contribute?
This website focuses the movement towards sustainability on individual farmers. It gives farmers information about how they can make their farms more sustainable by themselves, without government or organization influence. Farmers can pick and choose what to change about their practices, easing into sustainable farming.
Direct Communication
Provides a forum for local farmers to directly connect with each other and share their stories and tips. Also serves as a platform for posting questions/asking for advice.
Simple Solutions
Sustainable alternatives presented boost efficiency and are changes that can be made without full disruption of the farm. Farmers can continue to work while installing these strategies.
Balance Between Commons and Enclosure
Solutions that allow farmers to stay on their land for extended periods of time protects enclosed lands (Indigenous territories) from being taken over for economic gain. Conflict between farmers and between Indigenous peoples and the government over land rights are reduced.