
About
The Juruena Valley (municipalities of Juruena and Cotriguaçú), located in the northwest of the state of Mato Grosso, has great relevance for conservation because it is an ecotone, a transition area between two biomes, the Cerrado (Savannah) and the Amazon. This transitional condition of the biome has many peculiarities, but the fundamental one is that it is a hot spot with a rich variety of endemic species. These neighboring municipalities are located on the banks of the Juruena River, about 930 km north of Cuiabá, capital of the state of Mato Grosso. The region has been considered the new agricultural frontier since its colonization occurred recently, about 30 years ago. and consequently, the culture of deforestation remains strong and present within the local community. The municipality of Juruena has a total area of 319,000ha, of which 191,400ha are conserved with native vegetation and the other 127,600ha are mainly used for livestock activities. The municipality of Cotriguaçu has a total area of 912,358ha, of which 711,000ha are still preserved with their native vegetation (168,938ha being indigenous land) and the other 200,640ha are used for livestock activities. The Juruena Valley is considered one of the breeding cradles of Mato Grosso, being responsible for the production of 35% of the state's calves. IDH, together with Natcap and local actors, have carried out a process designed to build a sustainable development vision for the Juruena Valley region, which comprises the municipalities of Juruena and Cotriguaçu. This process, which took place in the second half of 2017, had as its main stages the participation of local actors, the agreement of intentions on the priorities for the region, the establishment of goals and the consolidation of the common vision for the municipality through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in May 2017. 2018. The PCI Regional Pact in the Juruena Valley aims to develop a free sourcing area of local products, through public and private partnerships, that allow conditions to promote sustainable intensification, while reducing deforestation and generating income.