Leadership training

The Brazil Environmental Leadership Training and Development Initiative, made possible by a partnership between IPÊ Sul da Bahia and Yale University’s School of the Environment, provides training in biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use for farmers of small and large properties, young students, and others interested in the topic, such as rural extension workers and forest and ecological restoration professionals. In addition to the training, the initiative supports environmental leaders in the execution of their projects, providing mentoring and financial support. Through leadership, the implementation of demonstration units of agroforestry systems is supported, encouraging the sustainable use of land by the communities that inhabit the territory. 

The initiative’s goals are to train and support people from all sectors and backgrounds to restore and conserve tropical forest landscapes using strategies that support biodiversity and livelihood. 

Projects developed by IPÊ demonstrate that sustainable and quality rural production, which has biodiversity conservation as a premise, brings economic benefits and more income to the producer. When the option is forest restoration, social involvement in the forest restoration chain (local communities, stakeholders and community organizations) guarantees the success and sustainability of the actions in the long term. For this reason, providing training on this topic for these stakeholders is essential. 

Educational activities began in 2020, in partnership with ELTI – Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative, from the Yale University School of Forestry. In 2021 and 2023, IPÊ established new partnerships to enhance training, such as the Federal University of Southern Bahia, through the DSAF Project, and the Brazilian Society for Ecological Restoration, through Dispersar – Initial and Continuing Training Program in Ecosystem Restoration Forest Restoration, expanding related topics, addressing essential subjects such as Agroforestry Systems and Models, Rural Economy and Business Plans, Social Involvement, Conversion to Sustainable Systems, Restoration Chain, Carbon Market and Rural Environmental Adequacy, Productive Recovery and Restoration Monitoring. These courses have already reached 223 people and 208 hours of training since 2021, 8 leaders were supported with mentoring and financial resources to engage more supporters each year.