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Reforestation in the Paraíba Valley advances with 110 formalized contracts, about R$ 3 million already executed and 1,315 hectares achieved, while properties in Lagoinha and São Luiz do Paraitinga report recovery of degraded areas, reorganization of rural production, and significant increase in productivity
Reforestation in the Paraíba Valley has been used to recover degraded areas, conserve native vegetation, and increase rural production on properties served by Refloresta SP. In the Vale + Verde Project, 110 contracts for Payment for Environmental Services have already been formalized, with about R$ 3 million executed and actions on 1,315 hectares, equivalent to approximately 93% of the agreed targets.
Signed in April 2024 with the Três Rios Intermunicipal Consortium, the Vale + Verde contract provides for an investment of R$ 11.4 million over three years with resources from the State Fund for Pollution Prevention and Control. The proposal is to encourage rural producers to conserve native vegetation and convert degraded areas, combining technical assistance, reorganization of land use, and financial support.
At Sítio Esperança, in Lagoinha, rural producer Causio Giovani Figueira, 43 years old, joined the Refloresta SP Program in November 2024 and began to register changes in production. The property increased from a level of between 270 and 300 liters of milk per day to a peak of 700 liters daily, while the current average, even outside the peak of lactation, is 550 liters.
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Reforestation and reorganization increased milk production
In 2024, the site had 25 cows in lactation and did not yet have a structured pasture management system. There was no water distributed in all paddocks, nor proper division of areas, which limited the organization of the property and productivity.
Later, with the addition of eight heifers born from the cows, the herd reached 33 lactating animals.
At the same time, 13.25 hectares of a silvopastoral system were implemented, a model that integrates trees, pasture, and cattle raising in the same area, bringing improvements to the soil, shading, and more efficiency in management.
The property also received restoration actions on 1.77 hectares and conservation of 0.74 hectares of native vegetation. The interventions included the expansion of paddocks, installation of water troughs, and planting of seedlings, as well as technical support for pasture management.
With this reorganization, production peaked at 700 liters per day, an increase of approximately 159% compared to the initial 270 liters. Currently, the average of 550 liters daily still represents a volume about 103% higher than recorded before the interventions.
Figueira stated that the technical learning was decisive for the transformation of the farm and highlighted the change in water supply to the herd. He also reported that the 700-liter per day tank reached its limit during the peak production period and that he is now considering purchasing a larger reservoir, with the entry of more animals and the continuous increase in production.
PSA secured funding for new investments
The support from the Payment for Environmental Services mechanism brought financial security for new investments at Sítio Esperança. According to the producer, the funds helped with irrigation, improving springs, and the operation of the biodigester, as the waste began to receive proper treatment.
The planned investment in the property is R$ 70.4 thousand, of which R$ 20.4 thousand has already been executed. For him, before the PSA, any improvement depended solely on the income generated by production, while the current support allowed for advancements in the property’s structure and water management.
In São Luiz do Paraitinga, farmer Leandro Mantesso, 51 years old, bought Sítio Raízes I four years ago with the goal of transforming an old pasture area into a model of productive restoration. The property has 50 hectares, with 15 hectares of preserved native forest and 35 hectares previously designated for livestock.
Agroforestry system changed area previously used for pasture
Under the Vale + Verde program, Mantesso converted 18.23 hectares of degraded pasture into an Agroforestry System, a model that combines agricultural and forestry species in the same area.
Of this total, 5.35 hectares are already consolidated, while the property maintains 13.83 hectares of conserved native vegetation and 0.35 hectares in forest restoration.
The actions involved fencing and isolating sensitive areas, guiding natural regeneration, and planting seedlings. The producer has already received R$ 20.3 thousand in Payment for Environmental Services for the execution of the SAF, and the planned investment in the property is R$ 80.4 thousand.
Three years ago, Mantesso started a pilot agroforestry project on five hectares focused on coffee production, as well as fruit and timber species. Last year, another five hectares began to be converted, totaling ten hectares in the process of transitioning from pasture to SAF.
He reported that the difference between the areas is noticeable during the rains, as in the pasture the water runs off the surface, while in the SAF it infiltrates the soil. He also observed a more intense return of bees, insects, and birds, as well as changes in the work routine of the people involved, who began to learn another way to deal with nature and agriculture.
State policy brings together goals, resources, and expansion of reforestation
The Vale + Verde Project is part of the portfolio of initiatives of Refloresta SP, coordinated by the Directorate of Biodiversity and Biotechnology of the Secretariat of Environment, Infrastructure, and Logistics. The state policy brings together actions in the Vale do Paraíba, in the Serra da Cantareira, and in other fronts built through partnerships with municipalities and projects supported by different funding sources.
Together, these actions cover about 37,700 hectares in restoration in the São Paulo territory between 2023 and 2026. Of this total, 14,700 hectares, or 39%, were executed in 2025, contributing to the goal of the State Environmental Plan to reach 37,500 hectares by 2026, with approximately R$ 45 million already executed with resources from Fecop, Arsesp, and GEF.
The secretary of Semil, Natália Resende, stated that the actions monitored in the Vale do Paraíba show that it is possible to unite environmental conservation and strengthening of rural production. According to the director of DBB, Patrícia Locosque Ramos, the PSA is a strategic instrument for productive transition, as it creates conditions to reorganize property, recover degraded areas, and increase productivity with conservation.
In the Vale do Paraíba, a region historically marked by the degradation of the Atlantic Forest since the coffee cycle, the public policy seeks to reverse environmental liabilities and strengthen rural production and water security. In this context, reforestation appears as a central axis of a strategy that combines conservation, soil recovery, water protection, and productive reorganization in the countryside.
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