Robert & Dace

Agroforestry integrates trees or shrubs with crops or pastureland, mimicking forest structure. This system enhances land productivity, environmental resilience, and ecosystem sustainability.

A key benefit is carbon sequestration through perennial plants and increased biodiversity. Perennials store more carbon than annuals by growing longer each year and accumulating carbon over time. Trees, in particular, sequester carbon in trunks, branches, and roots, increasing storage as they grow. The diverse plant species store carbon at varying soil depths and ecosystem parts, further boosting carbon capture. 

This system specifically utilizes syntropic agroforestry, utilizing extensive mulching with woody material to enhance mycelium growth and strengthen the overall ecosystem. Remarkable results have been observed, with the soil storing an additional 3% carbon after just four years.

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About our carbon farmer‍

We are a young family—Robert, Dace, Leo, and Nora—who in early 2020 left city life to start an ecological self-experiment in Brazil's countryside. We bought 30 hectares of land featuring forests, waterfalls, and grazing lands, nestled in the mountain stretches of the National Park of Três Picos, near Nova Friburgo in Rio de Janeiro state. Our goal is to create a permaculture playground for like-minded individuals, sharing knowledge and experiences. We aim to produce our own food, enhance land fertility, productivity, and biodiversity, and live harmoniously with nature and the local community. Our project's name, MAARA, reflects our dedication. Māra, Mother Earth in Latvian mythology, is the goddess of land, water, and all living things. MAARA symbolizes our intent to protect, preserve, and develop a balanced relationship with the environment.

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Website

projetomaara.com