Brazilian native fruit species are excellent generators of income and job opportunities to family farmers and micro-entrepreneurs especially from the Northern and Northeastern regions of Brazil. Species such as the Platonia insignis, Myrciaria dubia, Byrsonima crassifolia and the Spondia mombin L. have been frequently cited as economically promising in the field of family farming, due to the myriad of business possibilities linked to the ever increasing demand of

Status: Completed     Start date: Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008

Genetic Vegetable resources, globally, involve a number of around 300,000 identified species, of which 30,000 are edible and only 30 consist of foods that feed the world's population. However, from this total, only three species provide 50% of proteins necessary in a regular diet (rice, wheat and corn). This situation has been stimulating a great number of researchers in the quest to increase the number of species dedicated to feed the population. Brazil is considered the world's greatest source

Status: Completed     Start date: Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2009

Currently, the stockbreeding production systems have been becoming more sustainable and efficient, making Brazil the world's largest meat producer, grounded in undeniable quality. The country has the world's most diversified stockbreeding system, which is able to compete in international markets with distinguished products, especially buffalo originated ones (for instance their low cholesterol meat), guaranteeing these products a privileged position in demanding markets. Raising buffaloes, today

Status: Completed     Start date: Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2008

Sustainability of traditional cultivation systems (slash-and-burn) depends especially on long periods of set-aside in order to reestablish the stock of the soil's nutrients and raw organic material used and/or lost during the agricultural period. Population growth and decrease in the region's secondary vegetation availability has progressively reduced the set-aside period, subsequently increasing the pressure on riparian areas and cultivated ones. The result if degradation of natural resources a

Status: Completed     Start date: Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2009