Reforestation initiatives not only help sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but also restore vital ecosystems. The Instituto de Ação Socioambiental (ASA) is a Brazilian organization at the forefront of reforestation efforts. In an exclusive interview featured in MORFO 's white paper on The Future of Reforestation Carbon Credits, ASA's President, Gabriela Viana, and Vice President, Tatiana Horta, provide insights into their organization's mission and experiences with ecological and resilient forest restoration, working with local actors and carbon credits in reforestation.
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m Gabriela Viana, a veterinarian with a Master's degree and specialization in Project Management. Since its foundation, I've been the President of ASA and the visionary behind the Guapiaçu Project. Since 2001, I've been involved in various socio-environmental projects, working with different environmental organizations and international technical cooperation.
My name is Tatiana Horta. I am a veterinarian and biologist with a postgraduate degree in Environmental Management. I've been the Vice President of ASA since its inception and have served as the Operational Coordinator of the Guapiaçu project in partnership with Petrobras through the Petrobras Socio-Environmental Program.
Could you provide a quick overview of ASA and the specific projects you have carried out to restore degraded land?
The Instituto de Ação Socioambiental (ASA) was established in 2014, along with the Guapiaçu project, and our constitution was constructed collaboratively. The team that conceived the Guapiaçu Project organized itself to grow alongside the project, gaining maturity and strength over eight years. During this journey, we executed three phases of the Guapiaçu project and expanded our actions, innovating to offer more environmental education activities, attracting new partners, and increasing societal engagement to transform the region.
We have a mission to engage society in promoting the quality of the environment for all living beings. Our vision is to be recognized for consistently achieving engagement with society in promoting the quality of the environment for all living beings. Our core values are transparency, collaboration, and impact, ensuring visibility for the work carried out, in relation to our actions, our team, and resource management to promote engagement in our causes. We believe that promoting environmental quality requires collaborative efforts across different areas of knowledge to achieve consistent results. We direct all our actions to generate an impact on environmental quality and society.
I have been involved in the Guapiaçu Project since its inception in 2013 when the ASA team began working at the Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA), planning, coordinating, and executing the Guapiaçu Project. Overall, the Guapiaçu Project restored 261 hectares, planted 430,000 seedlings, and used 313 species. These results were accomplished into three phases: phase 1 from 2013 to 2015, restored 100 hectares; phase 2 from 2017 to 2019, restored 60 hectares; and phase 3, which restored an additional 101 hectares between 2020 and 2021. Today, the Instituto de Ação Socioambiental works on restoration activities in the municipalities of Cachoeiras de Macacu and Magé, RJ.
Can you explain how your reforestation initiatives contribute to the long-term restoration of forest ecosystems?
Our forest restoration activities aim to recover areas without native vegetation or those stagnated in the ecological succession process. These environmental degradation factors are caused by agricultural and livestock activities conducted without soil, water, and local biota preservation actions. Degradation can also result from human occupation, improper use of machinery, natural factors, among others. Restoring these degraded areas allows us to revive ecological interactions and achieve long-term restoration of forest ecosystems. Our focus is on restoring private areas owned by third parties, and in doing so, we believe that mobilizing rural landowners to release degraded areas engages a new stakeholder. This process requires local coordination and time, but involving landowners in the choice of areas and species fosters greater engagement. Additionally, we emphasize the ecosystem services that will be restored through ecological restoration.
Among all your reforestation compensation programs, were any of them eligible for carbon credits?
The first phase of the Guapiaçu project, from 2013 to 2015, received carbon certification from the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Alliance, validating the removal of the equivalent of at least 49,680 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere over 30 years, starting from 2015.
What impact would a higher (or lower) price for carbon credits have on your organization?
A higher price of carbon credits has a significant impact as it becomes an attractive incentive for engaging rural landowners. As we restore areas owned by third parties, we invest a considerable amount of time in mobilizing these landowners to provide land for restoration. In many cases, price declines when they consider the potential returns they could gain from using the land for agriculture, for example. If the price of carbon credits is favorable, the process of convincing them becomes easier.
What is the impact of a higher (or lower) price on reforested land in Brazil?
A higher valuation of reforested lands in Brazil has a positive impact on the entire forest restoration process, as it facilitates the process of convincing rural landowners. On the other hand, if the price of carbon credits decreases, there will be more resistance to providing land, as landowners may consider investing in more profitable activities. It is essential to note that currently, forested lands have a reduced value in the market, as they are considered unfit for production. The Mata Atlântica is protected by legislation such as the Forest Code, which designates areas for permanent protection. Consequently, there is a perception that these areas have low economic value. Paying for environmental services is not yet a reality in our region.
What is your general opinion of the carbon offset system in relation to reforestation efforts?
We believe that we still lack a realistic business model that can be presented to rural landowners to convince them that investing in restoration is the best option for them.
What measures or systems are in place to monitor and verify the impact of your restoration efforts?
Forest restoration projects in the state of Rio de Janeiro are monitored according to Resolution 143/2017.
What measures do you take to ensure that projects are respectful of indigenous communities' rights and knowledge?
We work directly with local communities, not only through environmental education activities carried out in all schools of the municipality through the Integrated Education Program, but also through research and social mobilization events under the Biodiversity Monitoring Program. In this context, we explore the possibilities and benefits of fauna restoration with the community and during the mobilization events we provide feedback on biodiversity. Furthermore, the projects we undertake contribute to job creation and income generation within local communities.
