The Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project helps local residents bring their regional products, traditional knowledge and sustainable livelihoods to a wider public audience.
Forest conservation is closely connected to community life, local knowledge and the sustainable use of natural resources.
When those resources are used responsibly and local knowledge is valued, forest-related products can contribute to household income while strengthening the relationship between communities and the environment around them.
On 10 and 11 June 2026, during the Festas de Santo Antônio in Borba, the Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project supported an exhibition that created a public platform for regional products, traditional knowledge and sustainable local production.
The initiative brought together project representatives, local producers, municipal partners and visitors attending the celebrations. It provided an opportunity to showcase products linked to Amazonian socio-biodiversity while increasing public awareness of the Trocano Project’s activities and objectives.
Bringing Regional Products to a Wider Audience
The exhibition began in Borba Town on 10 June with the aim of promoting sustainable production and supporting income generation opportunities for the participating producers.
Products presented during the event included honey, copaiba oil, andiroba oil, cumaru oil and other regional goods associated with local knowledge and responsible use of natural resources.
These products were supplied by Mr Guilherme, a long-standing collaborator of the Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project. His participation reflected his ongoing commitment to the initiatives developed through the project and helped promote the results achieved over several years of community engagement.
By presenting these products directly to the public, the exhibition gave visitors an opportunity to learn more about the origins, uses and value of regional products connected to the forest landscape of Amazonas.
Products Rooted in Amazonian Socio-Biodiversity
The exhibition highlighted the value of products derived from Amazonian socio-biodiversity.
Alongside honey, copaiba oil, andiroba oil and cumaru, visitors were also able to see and purchase artisanal regional products produced by Mr Guilherme, including liqueurs made with local flavours such as puxuri, cocoa and passion fruit.
These products represent more than commercial goods. They reflect practical knowledge of local plants, natural materials, production methods and cultural traditions.
When this knowledge is recognised and supported, it can contribute to:
- preserving traditional and practical knowledge;
- strengthening local production chains;
- increasing visibility for regional producers;
- supporting supplementary income;
- encouraging responsible use of natural resources; and
- demonstrating the value of standing forests.
The exhibition therefore provided an important space for both economic activity and cultural appreciation.
Connecting Product Sales with Environmental Awareness
Throughout the event, the Trocano Project team distributed information materials and promotional items to visitors who stopped at the stall, as well as to customers who purchased the products on display.
The leaflets explained the project’s actions, objectives and results, helping to raise awareness and increase public access to information about the initiatives being carried out in Borba.
This approach helped connect the products on display with a wider environmental and community context.
Visitors were not only able to purchase regional goods. They were also able to learn about the Trocano Project, discuss sustainable production, and better understand how responsible use of natural resources can support both local livelihoods and environmental conservation.
Dialogue, Visibility and Community Engagement
The exhibition saw strong visitor turnout, creating a welcoming environment for dialogue and knowledge exchange.
Conversations at the stall extended beyond the sale of individual products. They included discussion of the sustainable use of natural resources, the importance of environmental conservation and the role of local production chains in supporting community development.
This kind of public engagement is valuable because environmental awareness is not built only through formal presentations or written reports.
It can also grow through direct conversations, practical examples and familiar products that people can see, handle and discuss.
By participating in the Festas de Santo Antônio, the Trocano Project was able to engage with a wider audience in a setting that is already important to Borba’s cultural and community life.
Sustainable Livelihoods and Forest Conservation
Products associated with forest landscapes can create value without requiring the forest itself to be removed.
This is particularly important in regions where local families and producers have extensive knowledge of plants, trees, pollinators and natural materials.
Events such as this exhibition do not, by themselves, create a complete market or transform economic conditions. However, they can provide useful opportunities for producers to:
- reach new customers;
- present their products more visibly;
- build recognition within the local community;
- receive direct feedback;
- explain the uses and qualities of their products; and
- generate sales during periods of high public attendance.
They can also help identify where further support may be useful, including product presentation, packaging, future exhibition opportunities and wider producer participation.
For the Trocano Project, supporting visibility for regional products forms part of a broader commitment to community engagement, sustainable livelihoods and responsible natural-resource use.
Institutional Support and Local Cooperation
The exhibition also benefited from the support and presence of municipal partners.
The Trocano Project team expressed its sincere thanks to Ms Margareth Nobre, Secretary for Indigenous and Interior Affairs, and to her support team, who were present throughout the event and contributed to its coordination, monitoring and successful delivery.
This institutional cooperation helped integrate the exhibition into the wider festival environment and supported the smooth running of the activity.
Partnerships of this kind are important for project implementation. The Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project operates across a large municipality and engages with different communities, schools, producers and public institutions. Constructive coordination with municipal departments helps ensure that activities are locally relevant, properly organised and connected to existing community structures.
Connecting the Trocano Project with the Wider Community
The Santo Antônio festivities are an important part of community life in Borba.
Participating in the event allowed the Trocano Project to engage with residents and visitors beyond formal meetings, training sessions and school activities.
The exhibition created a space where people could speak directly with the project team, meet a participating producer, learn about ongoing initiatives and see examples of products associated with local forest and agricultural livelihoods.
This helped strengthen the relationship between the project and the public, while also increasing visibility for the work being carried out through the Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project.
From Forest Value to Community Opportunity
For the Trocano Project, community engagement is not separate from the environmental purpose of REDD+.
Long-term forest protection is more resilient when local people can identify practical social, cultural and economic value in conservation, responsible land management and sustainable production.
The exhibition highlighted this relationship in a clear and accessible way. Visitors were not presented with forest conservation as an abstract concept. They were able to see, discuss and purchase products that illustrate how natural resources can support local enterprise when they are used responsibly.
The staging of the exhibition reaffirmed the Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project’s commitment to promoting culture, sustainability, the appreciation of traditional knowledge and the strengthening of community initiatives.
By bringing these elements together during one of Borba’s most important local celebrations, the project helped show how sustainable production, public engagement and forest conservation can support one another.
The Trocano Araretama REDD+ Project will continue to explore opportunities to support producers, strengthen community participation and create greater visibility for sustainable initiatives across Borba.
The Trocano Araretama Project is a REDD+ initiative located in Borba, Amazonas, Brazil. Developed by Go Balance as part of a long-term commitment to forest conservation, community engagement, and sustainable development.
