Project in process | Community Development
Produtores de Hypnea
Location
The city of Trairi, located in the state of Ceará, thrives primarily on tourism-related trade of products and services due to its coastal location. As per a study conducted by the Ceará State Government Tourism Secretariat, Trairi attracts over 35 thousand tourists annually.
The project covers the stunning beaches of Flecheiras and Guajirú, which are renowned for their beauty and significantly contribute to the local fishing industry. Additionally, Mundaú beach hosts one of the largest wind farms in the state.
Despite the area’s potential for a promising future based on sustainable utilization of natural resources, approximately 30% of its population lives below the poverty line, lacking access to basic sanitation and clean water.
Species: hypnea (marine macroalgae) Hypnea pseudomusciformis
Marine macroalgae are of great commercial interest, both for direct consumption as for human and animal food, or as raw material for the cosmetic, food, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.
More specifically, the species H. pseudomisciformis was extensively explored for the extraction of carrageenan – used as a stabilizer, gelling agent and thickener, as it has high quantity and quality. However, in recent years exploration has declined due to the depletion of natural banks.
Despite the high level of commercial exploitation, a technique for its cultivation was recently developed. The Northeast region is highly conducive to cultivation due to its year-round suitability and high productivity. Cultivation of macroalgae, whether conducted in the open sea or bays, is typically performed on rafts, long-lines, or pontoons.
Community history
The communities of Flecheiras and Guajiru engage in rudimentary algaculture (seaweed cultivation) as a supplementary source of income alongside fishing activities. However, this form of cultivation is still in its early stages and encounters many challenges, such as market prices for algae being significantly lower than the community's production costs. Consequently, the demand for biomass might lead to the depletion of natural reserves, rather than promoting sustainable cultivation.
Algaculture holds potential as a sustainable alternative for production and income generation within coastal communities. Yet, to realize these benefits, the activity requires a well-structured approach. This entails implementing appropriate management practices in the production process, coupled with training initiatives to facilitate productive and income-generating crop management, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for the locals.
Without adequate economic support for their activities, algaculturists might persist in endangering natural macroalgae banks, posing a serious risk of resource extinction. To address this challenge, this project aims to implement the cultivation of the macroalgae H. pseudomusciformis, using technology previously developed by the project team in collaboration with the community itself.
Historical impacts:
2019 – Patenting of the macroalgae cultivation technique developed between the project team and the communities
2022 - Formalization of Boticário’s support for the Produtores de Hypnea project
2023 - Start of project operation
The project
The main goal of the "Produtores de Hypnea" project is to establish a production system for the macroalgae Hypnea pseudomusciformis within a traditional coastal community. This initiative leverages the community's tourist and educational potential to foster a culture that promotes marine biodiversity conservation and educates about ocean conservation throughout the decade.
The goal is to achieve sustainable production, ensuring the preservation of natural banks and simultaneously foster sustainable tourism in the region. This will be accomplished through training conservation advocates and providing ocean education, thereby offering an additional source of income for the community.
1
Hypnea production farm, sustainable and profitable.
1.465
of algae produced per year.
358.770
reais in net income per year resulting from the commercialization of production and tourism.
5
riverside producers trained in seaweed production.
11
people from communities trained as biodiversity conservation agents and promoters of education for the sea.
Project impacts
Project activities
Preparation of a sustainable production project for the macroalgae hypnea pseudomusciformis adapted to the reality of the community of Flecheiras and Guagiru, and installation of the production unit
A pilot farm spanning approximately 0.35 hectares of sea area will be designed, alongside a comprehensive business plan targeting the sale of the cultivated seaweed for consumption as food, agricultural stimulants, and as a raw material for the cosmetics industry. Protocols for cultivation, drying and glycolic extraction will be standardized to meet quality standards, aligning with the previously mentioned technology.
Training for sustainable, productive and profitable cultivation, based on patented technology
Interested community members will receive training to collect seedlings to conserve natural banks. They will also be trained to install longline structures for production, tie seedlings to ropes and manage them during cultivation and harvest. In addition, training will also be given in pre-processing within established protocols.
Visitation plan for tourists and training of guides and environmental monitors
A plan will be elaborated based on remote diagnosis and survey of local socio-environmental potentials and challenges. The plan will later be presented to the community through training sessions focused on empowering individuals as conservation agents and educators for oceanic matters. It will cover various topics, including marine ecology and sustainability, sustainable cultivation of macroalgae, principles and guidelines for ocean education, visitation itineraries, mediation techniques and visitor reception.
Realization
Grupo Boticário
One of the largest beauty groups in the world, Grupo Boticário is a Brazilian company present in 50 countries. He owns the brands O Boticário, Eudora, Quem Disse, Berenice? BeautyBox, Vult, O.u.i, Dr. JONES, Truss and the Beleza na Web marketplace, in addition to working with licensed products such as Australian Gold and its division for the B2B market. This interaction between different brands, assets, platforms, network of franchisees, representatives, distributors, retailers, sellers and suppliers forms the beauty ecosystem of Grupo Boticário, which also offers digital business management solutions for Brazilian retail through its brands Mooz, Casa Magalhães and GAVB. There are more than 15 thousand direct employees, with more than 4 thousand points of sale in 1,780 Brazilian cities.
Guided by responsible action towards the planet, society and consumers, the company has ESG embedded in its business model. By 2030, the Group plans to expand the positive impact on society through waste management with the “A Beauty of the Future” platform, which brings together ambitious commitments focused on the human, environmental dimensions and our production processes.
The history of Grupo Boticário began in 1977 in a small compounding pharmacy in Paraná and today it combines laboratory, factory, innovation, technology, logistics, marketing and retail, in an ecosystem of 64 thousand retail points of sale, partners and suppliers. The company also operates on environmental, social and cultural fronts and has operations with Fundação Grupo Boticário and Instituto Grupo Boticário. Find out more at www.grupoboticario.com.br
Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa, Ensino e Extensão
Created in 1979, it is an institution affiliated with the Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (Unesp), with the purpose of establishing and regulating academic cooperation programs in areas of activity and common interests, especially with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Sciences – FCAV, Jaboticabal Campus - SP.
Fubá Educação Ambiental
Fubá Educação Ambiental is a socio-environmental startup created in 2015 with the aim of promoting transformative and inclusive educational experiences. It has a multidisciplinary team that is 70% female. It has served more than 50 customers spread across 21 Brazilian states and more than 85 thousand people. It combined ecotourism, environmental education, technology and accessibility in the development of seven educational applications.
VBIO.eco
Bioeconomy platform that enables projects to value Brazilian biodiversity. It has a multidisciplinary team with more than 12 years of experience in project management and corporate communication. Its work has already enabled the operation of 23 projects to enhance biodiversity and created a network of more than 500 organizations and companies active in the socio-environmental cause.
