The implementation of an Agroforestry System (SAF) in the Krenak village of Resplendor (MG) marks a new chapter in Instituto Terra’s commitment to environmental regeneration combined with the valorization of ancestral knowledge. More than a practice of sustainable land use, this action represents a symbolic and practical alliance between science, tradition and the future.
The initiative was built in dialog with the leaders of the Krenak community and included the active participation of young indigenous people. The process was supported by students from the Center for Ecosystem Restoration Studies (NERE) and the Sustainable Rural Development team, reinforcing the importance of collaborative work and listening as a central tool for historical and environmental reparation. As part of the Terra Doce program, the SAF respects the times of the forest and local culture, valuing the autonomy and protagonism of native peoples.
When looking at the Krenak territory, it is impossible to ignore the long history of violence, erasure and forced displacement that these people have faced since their first contacts with the colonizers. Recovering the land and its traditional forms of occupation is therefore also a form of healing – not just of ecosystems, but of social, emotional and spiritual bonds. In this sense, the arrival of a SAF is not just an agricultural technology: it is a gesture of commitment to socio-environmental justice and the construction of a more integral and shared future in the Doce River Basin.