Increased deforestation of the Amazon forest for cattle ranching since the decline of rubber production, which used to be one of the main income resources for the population. A technique was developed in which ‘latex sheets’ are produced, which gives families the opportunity to work and earn income in the forest. Furthermore there is commitment to the preservation and handling of the rubber plantation, training carried out so that the raw material could be developed uniformly, commitment of the entire community to work in a sustainable way in tourism and extractivism. The benefits are the preservation of the reserve and also the dissemination of the work and products offered by Dr. Rubber, in addition to disseminating good practices among the local community.
The main issues Epitaciolândia was facing were environmental degradation und exploitation of rubber which contributed to the deforestation of the Amazon Forest. Another result was the lack of a base for local economy and conflict of interests between several stakeholders. To address these problems, a conservation unit was created and further, the latex craftsmanship was revived. In cooperation with the Federal University of Brasília a new technique was developed to produce latex sheets that are processed into shoes, for example. This has been proven to be a cost effective and environment friendly way to generate jobs in the region.
Keywords: Conservation areas, alternative income, raising awareness, sustainable products, educating local communities, protecting forests Ecotourism Nature conservation, Natural resource protection
