Often overlooked by candidates, this biome has already lost half of its original vegetation and is at risk of extinction due to the high rate of deforestation; an NGO highlights the importance of the Cerrado for food security, water resources, and the planet's climate balance.
The Institute for Society, Population and Nature (ISPN) launches the campaign #VoteForCerradoThis is an awareness campaign about the importance of the biome and the tragic consequences its degradation could have on our society if there are no effective public policies to save the world's most biodiverse savanna, known as the "cradle of waters" in Brazil. The intention is to mobilize citizens to demand that their candidates present proposals for the conservation of its ecosystems and the fight against rising deforestation.
The campaign can be accessed through ISPN's social media channels (@ispn_brasiland includes two actions offline Public awareness campaign, through tasting juices made from native Cerrado fruits and free distribution of water for hydration (see below). #VoteForTheCerrado is carried out by ISPN and Rede Cerrado, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Small Grants Programme, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CERES Project, European Union and WWF-Brazil.
“It’s important that people know the diversity of flavors of the Cerrado, the potential these fruits have for income generation and biodiversity conservation. The water that quenches thirst and generates energy for countless homes in the country comes from the Cerrado,” explains Isabel Figueiredo, Coordinator of the Cerrado and Caatinga Program at ISPN. “Without the Cerrado, there is no water, and without water, there is no life. The Cerrado cries out for help, and we cry out for the Cerrado.”
The campaign's inaugural video presents the Cerrado as the best candidate in these elections because it fulfills all its promises: food security, fresh water, energy and income generation, cultural diversity, and climate balance. "Since our hero isn't a real candidate, we need to demand that those who will receive our votes include proposals for the conservation of the biome," Figueiredo emphasizes.
Between August 30th and October 2nd, the content shared on the Institute's social media channels will present scientific data and connections between the biome and the daily lives of Brazilians, regardless of the region they inhabit.
Campaign at the Ilumina Festival and on Brasília's Eixão.
Two partnerships strengthen the campaign to carry out actions. offline Tasting juices made from native fruits and distributing free water: one of them is the Ilumina Festival, which is in its 8th edition in Chapada dos Veadeiros (GO); the other is the Cerrado Network, in Brasília (DF).
Between the 9th and 10th of September, ISPN's "hydration station" will be at the Multiethnic Village in Alto Paraíso de Goiás (GO) to raise awareness among the public at the Ilumina Festival. During these days, two discussion panels will also be held at the Festival about the importance of the biome and its peoples: "Who is protecting the Cerrado?" (September 9th) and "The water you drink comes from the Cerrado" (September 10th).
On the 11th, National Day of the CerradoIt's the station's turn to join the Grito pelo Cerrado program, organized by Cerrado Network On the Eixão Norte, near block 210. The activities for this special date in the Brazilian capital include cultural, artistic, and political events. One of them is the Log Race of the Timbira and Xavante Peoples, held for almost 20 years in important political and economic centers of Brazil. The practice is traditional to the A'uwe Xavante and Timbira peoples and has been a form of political and cultural expression for indigenous peoples to give visibility to the struggle for the demarcation of their territories and the defense of the conservation of the Cerrado and its socio-biodiversity.
The race will kick off the event with participants gathering at 9 am on Eixão Norte, near block 207, and the race starting at 10 am, proceeding to block 210, where there will be tastings of Cerrado juices, activities for children, a percussion group, and powerful speeches in defense of the Brazilian savanna. Check out the promotional card:
Check out the manifesto for the Cerrado here.
Flavours
Cashew fruit, araticum, murici, pequi, buriti, babaçu, bacuri, cagaita, mangaba, jatobá, and many other delicacies are just some of the thousands of plant species found in the Cerrado, preserved by family farmers, traditional peoples, and communities. During the campaign, the public will be able to discover some of these flavors and understand how it is possible to demand action from politicians for the conservation of this biome, which has already lost half of its native vegetation.
Juices made from araticum, coquinho azedo, mangaba, and cagaita, as well as mineral water, will be distributed at ISPN hydration stations to compensate for the drought and heat. Distribution will continue until supplies run out, and the public can pick up a special gift: a campaign cup to take a piece of the Cerrado home and remember to vote for the biome.
3 key areas to save the Cerrado
Terena Castro, technical advisor at ISPN, emphasizes that the conservation of the Cerrado is urgent and possible through interdependent paths that must be guaranteed by elected politicians, which are: sustainable use, an end to deforestation, and the inclusion of native socio-biodiversity products in people's daily consumption.
“It is important that citizens pay attention to the candidates' proposals and demand actions from politicians that can save the Cerrado. The real threat that the biome faces is a risk to our food security, our water sources, and the global climate balance, in addition to violating the territorial rights of thousands of traditional communities in the country,” he comments.
“It is necessary to research the proposals and track record of candidates who will receive our votes this year, to verify if they are committed to the sustainable use of biodiversity, to reducing deforestation in the Cerrado, and to the economy of peoples, traditional communities and family farmers, which we call the 'socio-bio economy'. This attitude saves the Cerrado,” he concludes.
Sociobiodiverse Cerrado
Within this biome live more than eighty indigenous ethnic groups, as well as quilombola communities, geraizeiros, vazanteiros, coconut breakers, riverside dwellers, artisanal fishermen, fundo and fecho de pasto communities, among others, whose ways of life are directly related to the local biodiversity. The Cerrado harbors the Guarani, Bambuí, and Urucuia aquifers, as well as the headwaters of eight of the twelve main hydrographic regions of Brazil. It is responsible for 70% of the flow of the São Francisco River and 47% of the flow of the Paraná River basin, which supplies the Itaipu hydroelectric plant.
The Cerrado is a topic of global security, being central to debates on mitigating climate change. With roots that reach over 30 meters deep, representing up to 75% of the biomass of shrubs and trees, the biome is able to store approximately 13,7 billion tons of carbon.
Threat of extinction
Between August 2020 and July 2021, the Cerrado biome lost native vegetation area equivalent to six cities the size of São Paulo, an 8% increase compared to the previous year. The MATOPIBA region, encompassing the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia, accounted for 61,3% of the deforestation during this period (or a loss of 5.227,32 km²). According to Mapbiomas, nearly 6 million hectares were lost in a decade, from 2010 to 2020. Monoculture is one of the main causes of deforestation.
According to data from Mapbiomas, the area of farmland in Brazil tripled between 1985 and 2020, increasing from 19 million hectares to 55 million. Of these, 36 million hectares are dedicated to soybeans, an area larger than Italy. Half of this growth is in the Cerrado region, which lost 16,8 million hectares to soybeans in the last 36 years.
“The Cerrado, written with a capital C, is as important as the Amazon for biodiversity and climate balance. Minimizing social inequalities also depends on encouraging sustainable development,” says Terena Castro. “Brazil’s second largest biome provides housing, food, and income for thousands of traditional communities in the country, many of which are invisible on official maps,” she concludes.
Learn more about the Cerrado. here.
Service
#VoteForTheCerrado campaign
From August 30th to October 2nd on @ispn_brasil (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook)
Juice tasting and hydration station:
September 9th and 10th: Ilumina Festival, Multiethnic Village of Alto Paraíso de Goiás
September 11th: Cry for the Cerrado, Eixão Norte in Brasília (near block 2010), from 10 am to 13 pm.