Forests and People: Go Balance Trocano REDD+ Project Supports Women in the Amazon
Linking Community Wellbeing and Forest Protection through REDD+ in Borba, Amazonas
Forests are a foundational for global climate stability — acting as carbon sinks, biodiversity reservoirs, and sources of ecosystem resilience. Effective REDD+ projects must account for this full value. They recognise that forest carbon is best protected when local communities are active participants in conservation.
At Go Balance, we understand that carbon integrity is inseparable from social integrity. Forest protection is not only a matter of measurement and monitoring. It depends on the wellbeing of the people who live within the forests and depend on them every day for their homes, health, livelihoods, and futures.
That’s why our REDD+ work through the Trocano Project in Borba, Amazonas is grounded in a model that aligns jurisdictional REDD+ implementation with community-led development. We believe that when communities thrive, forests are more resilient — and so are the credits they generate. And when women — so often the foundation of those communities — are seen, supported, and celebrated, the impacts endure far beyond any one event.
A Mother’s Day Celebration with Purpose
On May 10th, 2025, the Go Balance Trocano Project team visited the São José do Miriti, community, located along the Borba–Mapiá road. The purpose of the day was more than ceremonial. It was a deliberate act of recognition, inclusion, and support for the women who play a vital role in community life — and, by extension, in the long-term protection of the Amazon rainforest. It was a coordinated outreach effort, organised in partnership with the Borba Municipal Hall and the Municipal Department of Health.
Trocano team member, Mrs. Gilmara Menezes opened the event with a welcome and an overview of the project’s mission. She spoke of the Trocano Project’s integrated approach — one that combines forest monitoring and carbon reduction with real-world investments in local wellbeing. From climate education in schools to sustainable farming workshops, the project’s activities aim to empower residents to care for their land, their families, and their future.
Linking REDD+ with Health and Wellbeing
Following a warm blessing led by the pastor’s wife and a breakfast shared by all, the focus turned to healthcare — a vital but often inaccessible service in remote Amazonian communities.
With support from the Department of Health, nurses Édson and Joana provided women’s health screenings, rapid tests, and preventative care advice. These services were delivered directly to mothers and families in São José do Miriti — a clear example of REDD+ delivering co-benefits far beyond carbon.
This integration of health outreach into REDD+ implementation isn’t an add-on — it’s essential. When basic needs are met, when women are heard and supported, communities are better equipped to engage with the broader goals of environmental stewardship.
As we’ve seen in similar events in other parts of the Trocano Project, such as PAE Maripiti and Divino Espírito Santo, women’s wellbeing, youth education, and local leadership have become cornerstones of the project’s success. Community impacts and forest conservation can – and must – work together.
A Celebration Grounded in Gratitude, Trust and the Power of Community
The Mother’s Day event continued with a lively bingo game, the distribution of gifts, and heartfelt conversations. These gestures, while simple, carried deep meaning. From planning to delivery, all members of the Go Balance Trocano team ensured that the day was meaningful, inclusive, and rooted in respect.
As the programme concluded, the President of the São José do Miriti community offered words of thanks to the Trocano Project team. She also thanked the municipal healthcare representatives, on behalf of the women and families who attended. She shared how important it was for the mothers of the community to feel seen, appreciated, and valued.
These moments — while seemingly small — show how empowered communities actively protect the forest at the heart of the Trocano Project’s REDD+ strategy.
Why Community-Led REDD+ Matters
This outreach event in São José do Miriti reflects the larger vision of the Go Balance Trocano Project — a REDD+ project that goes beyond carbon metrics to deliver genuine social, economic, and environmental value.
The Trocano Project spans a vast area of primary rainforest in Amazonas, Brazil. The project not only reduces emissions, but also delivers long-term, inclusive benefits to the people living within its boundaries.
Through programmes that include:
- Health and wellbeing services
- Environmental education and awareness
- Fire prevention and volunteer fire brigade training
- Sustainable livelihoods, such as stingless bee breeding
…the project reflects a broader understanding of what REDD+ must deliver – placing community agency at the centre of climate resilience and the integrity of Natural Capital Credits.
This is not a theoretical approach. It’s Go Balance’s working model. In partnership with the Municipality of Borba and independently third-party verified under the Natural Forest Standard (NFS), the Trocano Project achieves Natural Capital Credits — carbon credits that recognises risk-adjusted forest protection alongside tangible community benefits.
Why Social Impact Strengthens Carbon Integrity
The connection between community development and forest conservation is more than ethical — it’s strategic. When REDD+ projects are embedded in local life and designed with community leadership, they’re better able to:
- Avoid deforestation through participation and awareness
- Build permanence through local empowerment
- Ensure transparency and accountability through direct engagement
The result is a more resilient, credible, and trusted climate solution. It delivers benefits that extend far beyond the avoided carbon emissions. In other words, they represent real carbon reductions, backed by real co-benefits.
From Women’s Wellbeing to Forest Resilience
What happened on Mother’s Day in São José do Miriti was not a standalone event. It was one example of a wider, ongoing commitment: to ensure that REDD+ in the Amazon uplifts the very people it depends on.
As Trocano team member Gilmara reflected:
“Actions like these recognise the strength of women in our communities. When we support them, we strengthen the forest too.”
Because forests are not isolated carbon sinks. They are homes, cultures, and livelihoods. The Go Balance Trocano REDD+ Project is a community-led, rainforest conservation project built on trust and collaboration.
Because in the end, this isn’t about choosing between trees or people.
It’s about understanding that you can’t protect one without the other.
