Faces of Restoration Silvany Lima: Cultivating "Money Trees" in Brazil's Dry Forest

In the semiarid Caatinga region of Brazil, farmers are adopting agroforestry by integrating native trees, specifically the umbu (Spondias tuberosa), into livestock pastures. This transition is driven by severe climate impacts, including a 50% decline in rainfall in the Jacuípe Drainage Basin since 1962 and increasing desertification. The establishment of the Ser do Sertão cooperative and its Delícias do Jacuípe factory has created a commercial market for umbu pulp, providing farmers with supplemental income that can exceed dairy revenues during the harvest season. Beyond economic gains, these practices help retain soil moisture and provide animal feed during droughts, offering a scalable model for restoring degraded landscapes and ensuring the livelihoods of subsistence farmers.

• The Caatinga biome, which covers 11% of Brazil, has seen 80% of its natural landscapes converted to commercial agriculture and pasture since colonization, leaving many areas degraded.
• Climate change is causing desertification in northeast Brazil, with nearly 13% of the semiarid region already turning into desert. In Bahia state's Jacuípe Drainage Basin, rainfall has decreased by 50% since 1962.
• The IPCC predicts that Brazil's semiarid region could experience a temperature increase of 2°C to 5°C by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not curtailed.
• Farmers are increasing their resilience and income by cultivating the native umbu tree (Spondias tuberosa) on livestock pastures. For some, such as Silvany Lima, monthly revenues from umbu during the season exceed earnings from cow's milk.
• The Ser do Sertão cooperative and its Delícias do Jacuípe factory have industrialized the processing of native fruits, processing up to 2.4 tons of pulp per day during peak months. Currently, 90% of this production is sold to the government for local schools.
• Agroforestry practices in the Caatinga, including the use of umbu trees and prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica), help retain rainwater, lock moisture in the soil, and provide essential animal feed during the dry season.
• While umbu is the primary focus, other native species like the licuri palm (Syagrus coronata) and mandacaru cactus have unexplored market potential for oil, candies, and animal feed, which could help farmers achieve year-round production.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Faces of Restoration Silvany Lima: Cultivating "Money Trees" in Brazil's Dry Forest. https://www.wri.org/faces-restoration/silvany-agroforestry-brazil

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Faces of Restoration Silvany Lima: Cultivating "Money Trees" in Brazil's Dry Forest. n.d. https://www.wri.org/faces-restoration/silvany-agroforestry-brazil.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Faces of Restoration Silvany Lima: Cultivating "Money Trees" in Brazil's Dry Forest |url=https://www.wri.org/faces-restoration/silvany-agroforestry-brazil |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendfaces, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Faces of Restoration Silvany Lima: Cultivating "Money Trees" in Brazil's Dry Forest}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/faces-restoration/silvany-agroforestry-brazil}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }