Bioeconomic evaluation of an agroforestry system and the potential to recover degraded areas and capitalize producers in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The state of Pará has the largest deforested and degraded area in the Amazon, a result from the expansion of extensive livestock, the projects of rural settlement in the Agrarian Reform, mining, timber extraction, hydroelectric power plants and the pressure from large urban centers for food. Reversing the deforestation and soil degradation can thrive with the adoption of appropriate technologies in systems of higher productivity and bioeconomic efficiency, higher social inclusion, and less impact on the environment. The Agroforestry System, formed by the combination of acai, cocoa and black pepper crops, and African mahogany as a forest species, can be one of the alternatives to recover degraded areas and meet the objectives of sustainable development. According to the bioeconomic criteria of viability, this agroforestry system presented a competitive advantage in relation to monocultures of acai, cocoa, and black pepper; due having a higher net present value of US$ 6,508.94/ha; internal rate of return 13.93%; cost-benefit ratio of 1.104; uniform present value of US$ 764.54/ha; occupy more labor and mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases; reduce erosion, recovers water quality and interaction with biodiversity. The inclusion of the opportunity cost of natural assets such as land, water, and forest, and of the benefits with the green certification in the price of products, contributes to the use of good practices in the production, commercialization and preservation of natural resources.