Grupo Bimbo and IPÊ partnership

The partnership with Grupo Bimbo has made it possible to expand forest restoration work in the Atlantic Forest region. There are direct results in terms of water conservation and biodiversity, enabling the continued production of native seedlings in the school nursery, the restoration of an area of three hectares and the involvement of local students in the seedling production process.

The municipality of Nazaré Paulista, where IPÊ’s headquarters are located, is part of a strategic region for the use and conservation of natural resources such as water and the Atlantic Forest. This is where the reservoirs of the Cantareira System are located, responsible for supplying water to almost 12 million people.

To help conserve these resources, IPÊ develops research and environmental education projects, linked to actions to restore areas of the Atlantic Forest, conserve wild mammals, ecosystem services and sustainable businesses.

The partnership with Grupo Bimbo is making it possible to expand forest restoration work in the region, with direct results for water conservation and local biodiversity. It will help to continue the production of native seedlings in the school nursery, the restoration of an area of three hectares and the involvement of students from the region in the process of producing the seedlings and raising their awareness of the issues of water conservation, fauna and flora in the region.

Partnership objectives

• Forest restoration of a priority area for water and biodiversity conservation;
• Continuing the production of native seedlings in a school nursery;
• Raising student awareness of issues related to biodiversity and water conservation and involvement in the process of producing seedlings and reforestation;
• Involvement and awareness-raising among Bimbo employees on issues related to environmental conservation.

Strategy adopted

Grupo Bimbo has invested resources in the Nascentes Verdes Rios Vivos project, making it possible to expand forest restoration work in the region, with direct results in water conservation and local biodiversity.

This partnership has also led to the continued production of native seedlings in the school nursery, the forest restoration of a three-hectare area, and the involvement of students from the region in the process of producing seedlings and raising their awareness of water, fauna and flora conservation issues.

The partnership also provides for the growing involvement of the company’s employees, through participation in lectures on environmental issues given by IPÊ specialists and joint efforts to plant seedlings of species native to our flora.

Results obtained

• The goal of planting Atlantic Forest seedlings has already been achieved. By May 2010, 6,000 seedlings had been planted;
• Three hectares were restored around the Atibainha Reservoir.
• Two schools, one rural and the other urban, are benefiting from environmental education activities, with a total of more than 200 students.
• Planting sessions were held with schools and Grupo Bimbo employees.

Developments

In May 2010, more than 500 Atlantic Forest tree seedlings were planted in Nazaré Paulista by more than 200 children, 5th and 6th grade students from the Fabio Hacl Pínola (Vicente Nunes neighborhood) and Clélia M. Barros (Cuiabá neighborhood) state schools. This activity is part of the IPÊ and Bimbo partnership to develop environmental education with children and, at the same time, help restore the region’s landscape.

Planting was just one part of the process. Before putting their hands in the soil, the students attended lectures and took part in orientation sessions at the IPÊ school nursery. The most interesting thing is that, with the project, environmental education is now present across the board in practically all the subjects taught in these schools. Teachers are involving the subject of the forest restoration process in their subjects. In Geography, for example, the children are learning what the city looked like before it was flooded to form the dam.

The results of the work were presented to parents, students, teachers and Bimbo professionals, such as sustainability consultant Daniel Garza. “I left very satisfied with what I saw. I felt an incredible turnout from everyone and the children were really involved in the importance of maintaining the riparian forest. I made an assessment of different parts of the region and found that 96% of the seedlings survived,” he says.