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Final workshop in São João do Triunfo at the family run erva-mate processing industry 5 Estrelas, one of the partners in the GIAHS proposal. Representatives of federal, state, and municipal organizations participated in the discussions, along with local organic farmers and family farmer unions.

The , run by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), recognizes agricultural systems around the world that play an essential role in preserving agrobiodiversity, food security and sovereignty, and maintaining traditional knowledge and culture.

From March 17 to 20, 2025, Dr. Nimmo led a site visit with a representative of Scientific Advisory Group of the FAO, Dr. Norma Ruz Varas, who came to learn about traditional and agroecological erva-mate systems, the focus of the candidacy. This is the final stage of the FAO's evaluation of the shade-grown erva-mate GIAHS proposal. The delegation visited properties in the municipalities of Rebouças, Inácio Martins, Irati, São João do Triunfo, and São Mateus do Sul, in Southern Paraná, and included community leaders, Faxinal traditional communities, Indigenous Peoples, family farmers’ unions, researchers and farmers, as well as federal, state and municipal government representatives.

The visit

The four-day visit was organized by Dr. Nimmo and her colleagues at CEDErva, a local NGO, to highlight the many important impacts and benefits of traditional shade-grwon erva-mate systems in the Center-South of Paraná State. The visit included cooperatives, a variety of different family farms, Indigenous and Traditional communities, and research organizations.

On March 17th, the group visited the Mixed Cooperative for the Development of Family Agriculture of Rebouças (COMDAFAR), where they learned about the logistics and marketing of products from agroecological family farming, particularly for state and municipal food in schools government programs. On the 18th, the Indigenous Territory of Rio d'Areia, in the municipality of Inácio Martins, welcomed the team, with a round of chimarrão and presentation of traditional dances performed by the community's youth. After lunch in the community, the delegation headed to the Fazenda Velha agrarian reform settlement, where they visited Joscimar's property, which showcases agroecological activities linked to erva-mate and other products from the Araucaria Forest.

On the third day, the participants visited the Forestry Research Station of the Rural Development Institute of Paraná (IDR-PR-IAPAR-EMATER), where they were welcomed by IDR-PR's Research Director, Dr. Vânia Moda Cirino. During the visit, they learned about research on productive restoration, which integrates sustainable cultivation techniques to support forest and agrobiodiversity preservation. The program also included an immersion in a remnant of the Araucaria Forest, located within the IDR-PR research station, where the participants were able to explore a well-preserved example of the Atlantic Forest biome, a hotspot of biodiversity. The experience highlighted the possibilities of innovative agroforestry practices and environmental conservation, reinforcing the importance of sustainability in ecosystem management.

After lunch, the delegation headed to the traditional Faxinal community of Emboque, in São Mateus do Sul, where they were welcomed by the Wenglarek family. During the visit, the participants learned about the traditional Faxinal system, a way of life and productive practice that reflect the history and identity of the region. The family shared not only a demonstration of the artisanal process of harvesting, which includes a quick-drying process over an open fire to preserve the erva-mate leaves, separating them into bundles and taking them to the property's artisanal leaf grinding mill, but also recounted the historical development of the Faxinal system. The discussion highlighted the community's struggle and organization to ensure the recognition and preservation of this way of life.

On the 20th, the group visited the agroindustry 5 Estrelas, in São João do Triunfo, a family-run business that has carried on the tradition of erva-mate production for generations. During the tour of the property, the owner, Mr. João Negir, led the visitors through a forest full of stories and biodiversity. He paused several times to share his knowledge of the native species, highlighting, for example, an imbuia tree that is over 600 years old. Back at the agroindustry, the group was welcomed with a delicious erva-mate cake and a refreshing iced mate tea, symbols of local hospitality. The FAO representative then visited the erva-mate processing facility, where she was able to learn about the stages of production and understand how tradition combines with technology to maintain the quality and authenticity of the product.

After a lunch hosted by the mayor of São João do Triunfo, Mario Cezar da Silva, the meeting ended at the Barracão da Cidadania, marking a moment of reflection and dialog about the central role that erva-mate plays in the region's culture, socioecological development, and economy. During the meeting, key issues were addressed, such as the need to strengthen the erva-mate production chain, the commitment of the institutions present to foster the sustainable development of this economy and the strategic opportunities that would arise with the possible approval of the GIAHS recognition for shade-grown erva-mate. As an acknowledgement of agricultural and cultural heritage, the GIAHS will not only bring visibility and appreciation to shade-grown yerba mate, but will also open up new prospects for local producers and communities, boosting the economy and preserving traditional knowledge. The meeting reinforced unity and collaboration among the participants, highlighting the importance of collective and community work to ensure a more prosperous, sustainable future connected to the region's historical and cultural roots.

The GIAHS application

Since March 2020, traditional and agroecological farmers of Paraná and their partners have been working on the application to qualify Traditional Erva-Mate Systems as a GIAHS. The group worked for more than 18 months, holding regular meetings remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the two documents submitted to the FAO: an extensive dossier on all the aspects that characterize the systems and a dynamic conservation action plan, which outlines the actions that will be carried out over the next five years.

This candidacy is led by the Observatory of Traditional and Agroecological Erva-Mate Systems, launched in 2019 - which brings together more than 30 institutions, including family farmers’ unions, city governments, research centers, universities and third sector organizations - and was coordinated by Dr. Eve Nimmo and members of CEDErva (Centre for the Development and Education of Traditional Erva-Mate).

The GIAHS recognition goes beyond a symbolic title. It represents an important mechanism for valuing agricultural systems that integrate the sustainable use of natural resources and traditional management practices. By granting this qualification, the FAO promotes the preservation of traditional cultures, encourages the development of agroecology and improves the quality of life of farming families by strengthening cultural identity and agrobiodiversity.

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