|
|
April 08 |
| |
|
An important
visit: a committee from Galp Energia |
|
During the month of March, the recently founded Instituto
Fazenda Tamanduá, an “OSCIP” that brings together and
carries out all the research done at Fazenda Tamanduá –
especially with spirulina, arthrospira platensis,
and the famous physic nut, jatropha curcas, which
arouses admiration in many people – had the honor of
receiving a very special committee, coming from Portugal.
In fact, after several months searching and visiting
research centers working with the physic nut all over the
world, Professor Bianchi de Aguiar, Galp Energia’s
director for Biofuels discovered our existence in the
sertão of Paraíba, where research into the jatropha
has quietly been carried out for almost three years. |
| |
|
|
Galp Energia, a Portuguese company founded in 1999,
resulted from the restructuring of the energy sector in
Portugal, to operate in the oil and natural gas sectors.
The firm was privatized, but maintains close links with
the State of Portugal. |
| |
|
|
Recently the Portuguese government, unlike other European
countries, decided to double its targets in terms of
mixture and use of biofuels, with the objective of
reaching a mixture of 10% of biodiesel in fossil diesel
oil by 2012.
This will mean setting up large plantations for biodiesel
production, and the physic nut was chosen as the preferred
tree for this production, starting with Mozambique, a
sister country.
Therefore they need seeds of improved, productive
varieties, adapted to the weather conditions in the region
where the initial project will be set up – and that is
where Professor Bianchi’s quest started. |
|
 |
|
Prof. Ricardo Viégas, Dr. Fernando
Gomes,
Prof. Bianchi |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
From left to the right
:Dr.Ricardo Peixoto, Prof. Bianchi,
Deborah Laurentino de Morais, Dr. Fernando Gomes,
Prof. Ricardo Viégas |
|
In addition to the Professor, Dr. Fernando Gomes, a member of the
Executive Committee of Galp Energia, and Dr. Ricardo Peixoto, CEO
of Petrogal Brasil Ltda. and Galp Exploração e Serviços do Brasil
Ltda, came to Fazenda Tamanduá.
They spent the whole day meeting with Pierre Landolt and the
research team, formed by Professor Ricardo Almeida Viégas and
Deborah Laurentino de Morais.
They visited the collection, discovering the promising lineages of
the FT02, tested in several places in Brazil, as well as getting
acquainted with the techniques used and the prospects for new the
lineages, the laboratory and the several installations in the
field. |
|
|
|
|
The
original partnership with Artur Nogueira’s firm ClonAgri, in the State
of São Paulo, was also explained. In pioneering work, with our
support, it effected the micro-propagation of the physic nut, opening
the doors to a rapid expansion in planting, using healthy saplings
produced from mother plants cleaned of any pathogenic microorganism
originating from the selection of Instituto Fazenda Tamanduá (or
otherwise!).
The
day passed very quickly: the talks took place in climate of perfect
transparency and friendship, with sound scientific arguments, and were
so constructive that those concerned are thinking of making an
agreement for the supply of exclusive lineages, adapted to the
requirements of Galp Energia.
Yet
another positive day in the long history of Fazenda Tamanduá. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Biggest downpour of the 20th and 21st
centuries at Fazenda Tamanduá!
|
 |
|
|
|
During
the night of February 1st, 176 mm of rain fell in a period of 5
hours. The first rain this year, and the largest precipitation not only in
the 21st, but also in the 20th century.
In fact,
according to the data of the rainfall monitoring station of the DNOCS (the
government agency responsible for anti-drought measures) in Patos, PB, the
largest precipitation in the 20th century occurred on November
22, 1949, and was only 168 mm.!
After
only weak, irregular rainfall during the year 2007, with a total of no
more than 450 mm. as against an average of 700 mm., water reserves in
Fazenda Tamanduá’s reservoirs were at an extremely precarious level. We
were even using minimum irrigation for our mango trees, saving the scarce
water pumped from a network of tubular wells with low flow rates, over a
distance of almost 4 kilometers. |
|
|
 |
So on
the one hand it was a blessing: all the small and medium size
reservoirs overflowed, and the soil got thoroughly soaked. But on the
other hand there was huge damage to all the roads because of
a “tsunami” caused by the brook Conceição, which was so silted up
(owing to the successive droughts) that it overflowed: the roads and
the cross-dikes built in the low-lying stretches to channel its
waters, in the case of a reasonable flood, were destroyed; 20% of the
irrigation system for the mango trees was swept away (to sea?); and
the fences were destroyed and swept along in the low-lying parts.
The farm was cut in two for almost a day because of the strong current
in the water, which no-one could cross. |
|
|
|
|
Thanks to the responsible action of our cowboys, under a deluge, we
saved the calves and cows from the corral, quickly taking them to
higher corrals. Several of our neighbors did not have such luck,
losing dozens of goats and sheep, swept away by the waters or even
buried beneath a layer of mud.
For
several days, the earth was so soaked that it was impossible to move
over a good part of the farm, much less plow or plant! Ironic as it
may seem, we were even hoping for a short dry spell to start working
…Interestingly enough, if the “winter” started with unprecedented
violence, the second rain only came 10 days later, followed by others,
from weak to medium intensity, finally marking the beginning of our
rainy season. |
 |
|
|
|
|
Climate
change? Divine punishment? In any case, it was an unforgettable experience
for both young and old at Fazenda Tamanduá… |
|
|
The countryman’s experience can point
to solutions for sustainable development,
says entrepreneur |
|
|
|
In the inaugural lecture for the 2008 academic year of the
Post-graduate Program in Natural Resources at the Federal University of
Campina Grande (UFCG), the French entrepreneur Pierre Landolt said that,
in addition to scientific studies, a “humble” evaluation of the context of
production and productivity, listening to the countryman, must be made in
order to reach an ideal regarding sustainable development. He illustrated
his point with the statement: “The voices of the cowboys and the farmers,
of those who take the earth and the hoe in their hands, are those that can
point to short cuts to practical solutions”.
The importance of interaction with the productive
environment and the knowledge of the real situation in promoting
sustainability, according to Landolt, together with the commitment to
environmental equilibrium, produce better fruits, also in the economic and
social areas. “It is fundamental to work with the community. Not bringing
solutions, but looking for them in the real situation, so that they will
be accepted without resistance”, he insisted on repeating.
The event took place this Monday morning, the 17th, in the
José Farias da Nóbrega Rural Extension Center, in the Campina Grande
campus.
“An entrepreneur of sustainability and of basic solutions
for the Semi-arid Region”, in his own definition, and “the man who
accepted the challenge of creating an island of development in the
Sertão of Paraíba and showing the potential of the Brazilian Northeast
Region”, in the view of a specialized magazine, Landolt is the owner of
Fazenda Tamanduá, located close to the city of Patos.
Since 1998, he has followed the path of organic farming and livestock
raising, observing the rules of the Biodynamic Institute for Rural
Development, of Botucatu (IBD), whose certificate is accepted in the three
major economic blocks: Europe, United States and Japan. In 2003, he
received the certification of BIO SUISSE (Association of Swiss Organic
Farmers Organizations).
(Marinilson
Braga - Ascom/UFCG) |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Fazenda
Tamanduá
Caixa Postal 65 - Patos / Paraíba - CEP 58700-970 - Brasil
Tel.(83)3422-7070
Fax(83)3422-7071 |
 |
|
|
 |
