Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Indians with Green Seal in Hand

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec 16 2006 (IPS) - A territory of the Kayapó Indians that covers 1.5 million hectares in the northern Brazilian state of Pará has become the world's largest area of certified tropical forest. Indigenous leaders received the certification from the Brazilian Forest Management Council on Dec. 13 in Sao Paulo, along with the organic seal for oil produced from the Amazonian nut Bertholletia excelsa, or Brazil nut.

The oil is used in cosmetics, and the Brazilian association for personal health, perfumes and cosmetics is promoting its environmentally friendly production.

“The Kayapó produce five to 10 tons of oil annually, depending on the yield of nuts,” Luiz Villares, of the sustainable business campaign of Friends of the Earth-Brazilian Amazon, told Tierramérica.

Now efforts are focused on certification for Mekragnoti, the neighboring area — also of the Kayapó — of 4.3 million hectares, he announced.