Description

Over the last twenty years, Belver, a small town in the Alentejo region, in Portugal, was devastated by four fires (one in 2003, one in 2005 and two in 2017) that caused social, economic and environmental damage to the region. In 2017 alone, it is estimated that around 85% of the forest area in the town was burnt (around 5.400 ha).

After the fires in 2017, Terras de Guidintesta – Society for Rural Development, in partnership with Associação de Produtores Florestais da Freguesia de Belver (Association of the Forest Producers in Belver) started a project to reforest the area under its management (about 600ha, containing more than 1.600 rural buildings belonging to over 130 small land owners) with a more resilient and sustainable forest, both economically and environmentally.

This is how the project “Reforesting Belver” was born – with the goal to plant around 270 thousand trees. The first project requires a total investment of around 400 thousand euros, 75% of which will be financed by a straight grant PDR2020 (Programa de Desenvolvimento Rural da União Europeia). The promoter will cofinanced the remaining amount recurring to GoParity loans and the small owners’ own resources.

Given the fact that the plantations depend on the weather conditions (for example, it is only advisable to plant in October), the investment will be made throughout several years. This is why the loans on GoParity have been divided into several campaigns.: in the first, which occurred in January 2020, 123 people and companies invested 50 thousand euros in less than 24 hours; in the second, 232 people and companies invested 50 thousand euros in less than a week.  

This amount has been used in several clean-up actions (for example, to clean burnt trees), to prepare the land for plantation, and to plant trees. So far, 90 ha have been intervened. From these, 40 acres are ready to be planted and 22 acres were already planted with 6.000 trees.

Native species were privileged (mainly stone pines, but also cork tree). The amount raised through this campaign will be used to conclude the cleanings, prepare the soil, and also plant more trees, privileging again native species. 

Financial Viability

Besides the financing coming from Community Funds that will cover 75% of the total investment, most of the project is based on an agro-forestry model with productive goals and, hence, generating income. For example, the area prepared for the plantation of the stone tree will also be cultivated with crops to feed the livestock. The funding by GoParity is being used as a rolling fund for the Association to start the project execution, making it eligible to receive the public funds. In this context, given the project execution so far, the first payment of 52.000€ has already been approved.

The Impact

Environmental:

• Avoid the emission of 5.940 tons of CO2 a year, through the plantation of around 270.000 native trees – stone pines, cork tree and medronheiro;

• Recover 600 ha of the burnt area through the plantation and exploitation of the endogenous resources. Besides the trees that will be planted, the project includes the exploitation of a herd of goats, apiculture, and agriculture;

• Preserve and promote wildlife and biodiversity. For example, through the preservation of small clusters of natural regeneration of native species, every time they exist.

Impact:

• Full involvement of a community of more than 130 small owners, mainly elderly people;

• Better economic conditions for the small owners through the income generated from selling the agro-forest products;

• Generation of local jobs: at the moment, the Association has generated four jobs and expects to create one more until the end of the year. Estimations point to the creation of ten more, on a second phase. Besides this, there will always be the need to hire people for seasonal jobs (harvest).

Impact Indicators

1.980 t

CO2 avoided per year

44

people impacted

200

Hectares for biodiversity

3

jobs created

Contribution to the Sustainable
Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

The Promoter

Business Model

Updates