Between January 10th and 16th, MuCA hosts Swiss farmer and researcher Ernst Götsch for a series of events, including lectures and practical workshops, under the theme “My Backyard in the Forest, My Forest in the Backyard.” These events, sponsored by the Vale Cultural Institute, are free and open to the public.
Götsch is a reference in Brazil and worldwide in the field of Agroforestry Systems, which combine food production with forest regeneration. These systems formed the basis for the development of Agroforestry Backyards, a MuCA project that involves the local community in forest preservation and has a positive impact on the economy of the Belterra region in Pará. Having resided in the Recôncavo Baiano for 40 years, Götsch has been refining the practice of Agroforestry Systems as a means of preserving and expanding the planet’s biodiversity.
While in Switzerland, Götsch worked on plant genetic engineering, creating species that could survive adverse environments. Over time, the researcher realized that the best way to achieve these results was away from laboratory benches: in a diverse and strengthened ecosystem, nutritious species with high bioeconomic value thrive and bring numerous benefits to humans.
The reforestation carried out on his property in Bahia, which, in just two years, revitalized watercourses and native species in the region after decades of poor soil use, has become a success case among small farmers and also large companies guided by ESG principles. Since then, Götsch has been traveling across Brazil and the world, sharing his invaluable knowledge about biodiversity. Now, it is time to welcome him at MuCA and share these insights with the native communities of the Amazon.