Completed
Aguapé
Values the work of Pantanal women and spreads traditional knowledge about use of aguapé fiber, offering a secure income alternative for the community.
Location
Location
Community
Before dedicating themselves to aguapé fiber crafts, many women in the Barra de São Lourenço traditional Pantanal community earned income collecting live bait for tourists, an activity that requires entering the water and poses risks (venomous animals, increased gynecological infection risk). A group of 25 women, led by Catarina Ramos da Silva (guardian of ancestral knowledge), formed Associação Renascer to promote aguapé fiber craft as a safer income source. They face infrastructure gaps (no adequate workspace to dry/process fiber and make products) and must rent boats for more distant collection. The project addresses these needs, ensuring safe production space, access to biodiversity and cultural protection.
Species
Aguapé (Eichhornia crassipes)
Water hyacinth (Aguapé, Eichhornia crassipes) is a species of aquatic plant in the Pontederiaceae family, managed for centuries by traditional communities and with a wide variety of uses. In the Pantanal region of Mato Grosso do Sul, crafts are made using water hyacinth fiber, which is collected in bays and canals.
Its use is a traditional indigenous knowledge practiced by the Guató people, who inhabit the region. Local crafts highlight the region's fauna, flora, and distinctive features, with indigenous influences, expressing the beliefs, habits, traditions, and cultural references of the Pantanal people.
Activities
Training women in water hyacinth management and handicraft production
Two training sessions were offered, conducted by Catarina Ramos da Silva, guardian of this ancestral knowledge, with the objective of disseminating the handicraft-making technique among the association’s own artisans and qualifying the women for market access.
Training for water hyacinth management and craft production: Two training sessions will be offered, led by Catarina Ramos da Silva – keeper of this ancestral knowledge – with the goal of disseminating the craftsmanship technique among the association's artisans and training women to access markets.
Development of a manual/protocol for good practices in water hyacinth management
A good practices manual was developed jointly with the women of the community, based on their experiences and the agreements established among them regarding ways of handling the species. The material respected the biological characteristics of the water hyacinth, ensuring balance and the preservation of the species in its natural environments.
Investments in infrastructure and community equipment for water hyacinth work
An 80m² warehouse was built within the community area, ensuring that the fibers remained dry during the period required for handicraft production. The warehouse also served as a meeting space for the group and as a strategic point for commercialization. In addition, a motorboat was acquired, providing greater independence for the women in harvesting water hyacinth and enabling them to reach more distant waters in search of raw material.
Impact
19
women trained in aguapé fiber craft.
01
manual on good aguapé management practices produced.
60%
increase in women’s income.
Avon
Avon is part of the Natura&Co group, one of the world’s largest beauty groups, and has the purpose of empowering women and promoting their financial independence. With the aim of being the best beauty company in the world and for the world, Avon has a sustainability policy focused on commitment to life, addressing social issues such as equality and inclusion, and environmental issues such as the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
Associação Renascer
Responsible for project implementation, Associação Renascer has since 2015 sought to generate income alternatives for women of the Barra de São Lourenço Pantanal community (MS) through crafts and the dissemination of traditional knowledge.
VBIO.eco
A bioeconomy platform that enables projects to add value to Brazilian biodiversity. It has a multidisciplinary team with more than 12 years of experience in project management and corporate communication. Its work has enabled the implementation of 23 biodiversity valorization projects and created a network of over 500 organizations and companies active in socio-environmental causes.