In this panel were present from large companies, such as Agropalma in the State of Para, to the women that break babassu nuts in the State of Maranhão, also including the medium-size family company Fazenda Tamanduá.

However, the moment of the greatest importance for the appreciation of the Fazenda Tamanduá products was the Culinary Workshop when Chef Flávia Quaresma, of Carême Bistro, made delicious courses with Fazenda Tamandua´s products like the reblochon cheese and our fresh and dried mangoes.

The audience was thrilled and approved thes marvelous Mango Tart recipe, which we present below:

Likewise, while focusing on the Fazenda, I managed to gather a lot of information on the sertão and the North-eastern region in general, because of the fact that several of the inhabitants came from other farms and that during their lives they had often moved from one place to another. The problems that the region has to face today come from a very intricate series of elements at the micro, middle and macro levels.

It is in everyone’s interest to come face to face with the challenge of putting these different elements together.
At the Fazenda, I had the opportunity to record 20 interviews with people working in the most varied activities.

These diverse opinions will be analyzed when I return to Switzerland, so that I can understand the impact and the meaning of the development brought to this place by Pierre.

Beekeeping

The exceptional participation at these two events showed that this activity raises a great deal of interest among the region’s rural producers. Dr. Camargo stressed that Brazil is a center of excellence in terms of bee-keeping studies (both in relation to Africanized bees, apis mellifera, and the native stingless bees, melliponae), and that EMBRAPA has been making a huge effort in diagnosis and dissemination of the appropriate techniques. He told the story of the progressive Africanization of bees that came from Europe in the holds of Portuguese ships; and he presented the techniques used in the North-east, especially recalling the problems concerning the feeding needed during the dry season. He presented market data showing the great potential of Brazilian honey both in the national and international markets.

In fact, Africanized bees are more resistant to the pests and diseases that affect bees in other parts of the world, which means that hardly any defensive products are used, ensuring exceptional quality. He regretted that, in Brazil, honey is considered a medicine rather than a food, and he called everyone’s attention to the need to produce high-quality honey. Finally, he stressed the role of beekeeping as an exceptional source of supplementary income for the people of the sertão.

In spite of his extremely busy agenda, Dr. Camargo had enough time to visit Fazenda Tamanduá accompanied by Professor Fernando César Vieira Zanella. A follower of the Brazilian biodynamic movement, he approved the notion of “agricultural organism” applied at the farm, where there is considerable diversification and all the agricultural and pastoral activities are inter-connected and integrated. He visited several beekeeping facilities and the collection of melliponae, as well as the Casa do Mel (Honey House), which is supervised by the Federal Inspection Service (SIF).

He learnt, with great interest, of the organic beekeeping project, “Apis Sertão”, developed in partnership between Fazenda Tamanduá and the Projeto Cooperar (Cooperate Project) in the Espinharas region. This project benefits 20 small producers in four neighboring municipalities. Each producer has received ten hives, in addition to the guidance and permanent supervision of Flávio Alves Medeiros, an agronomist with a degree from the Paraíba Federal University (UFPB), who is connected with Fazenda Tamanduá. Although the project has only reached the end of the installation phase, the enthusiasm of the new beekeepers showed that Dr. Camargo’s perception and the topics of his addresses reflect the reality: beekeeping is a viable economic option for our region!