Research Opportunities at Iracambi - Socio-Economic Context

Research Options at Iracambi

Socio-Economic Context of the Forest

Iracambi caters for either individuals or teams of researchers who want to participate in one of our ongoing research programs. Visit our Research Portal to see the details of our research program. We provide logistical support, linguistic skills and access to our own living laboratory in the Atlantic Rainforest. We also welcome researchers who have their own research projects, as long as they are consistent with our own priorities.

Iracambi fully endorses our Government's efforts to protect intellectual property rights and national genetic resources and eradicate illegal trafficking in natural species. This does mean, however, that there are certain restrictions on foreign researchers working in Brazil: we can advise you of these if you think they might apply to you.

If you´d be interested in joining our research program, either with your own research ideas or to take part in ours, contact us.

Below is an expanded list of research areas available at Iracambi in fields related to the socio-economic context of the forest. The list below is not exhaustive, so we encourage you to contact us with any further inquiries, for information about past and current research projects or with any ideas you may have for your own project. We can be reached at Iracambi@iracambi.com

Because the nature of these projects requires significant interaction with community members, researchers on these topics need to be fluent in Portuguese.

Human and Social Capital

Analysis of the social, political, cultural, and economic factors which influence decision-making within the community;
Study of the interrelated components of the Mata Atlântica forest systems and the communities established in them;
Analysis of potential assets within the community such as human capital, natural capital, financial, physical & social networks (groups, trusts, NGOs, etc), and how to best utilize them;
Analysis of these in relation to the self - empowerment of the community, in particular with respect to its capacity to respond to (1) new opportunities consequent to the general democratisation of rural society, and (2) threats and opportunities that arise from the bauxite mining proposal;
Asset mapping of community resources;
Identification of potentially under-utilized local human and social capital.

Environmental Policy Analysis

Analysis of local and national socio-political environment policies (forest conservation laws, tenure issues, policies affecting land management) and how these might affect decisions at the community level;
Effects of inheritance laws on land fragmentation.

Environmental Education

Critical evaluation of the impact of Iracambi’s Environmental Education Program on the attitudes and actions of community members related to environmental conservation and protection, and identification of ways to improve the program;
Development of a community-based environmental education program;
Preparation of environmental education materials for schools;
Development of new curricula for school outreach programs and on-site workshops;
Creation of art-work, photography, and other illustrations for educational brochures and general use;
Development of innovative activities and games for environmental education program.

Community Engagement-

Organization of field days, farmers visits and local community exchanges;
Analysis of local attitudes towards conservation, deforestation and environmental management;
Analysis of anthropological factors (gender, family, culture) and their effect on attitudes to land conservation;
Effects of market prices and trends on local farmers.

For our information sheet for researchers, click here. To get an idea of what it is like to live at Iracambi please go to our Life at Iracambi page.