“An Everyday Perspective of the Carbon Neutral Tourism Certification: logos and spellings of a transformation at the Itacare -Serra Grande Environmental Protection Area – Bahia/Brazil” …  that’s the name of the project which will last 18 months, starting in January 2010.

The project is a partnership between Patrons for Life Movement, the Biological Sciences Dept. at UESC (Santa Cruz State University at Bahia / Brazil) , the Research Group on Scientific and Environmental Education – Greco’s UdG (Universitat de Girona – Catalunha / Spain) with the collaboration of GRUPO OLHO ( EYE Group- Laboratory of Audio-Visual Studies at UNICAMP (State University at Campinas / São Paulo), and sponsored by FAPESB (Bahia’s Foundation for Research).

The proposal depends on the development and diffusion of innovative technology on the CO2 Neutral Tourism Certification creating bridges and connections between different agents at the Itacaré/Serra Grande Environmental Protection Area (entrepreneurs, tourists, traditional small scale farmers and the community), building a network that promotes sustainable tourism in the region, focusing on improving the quality of life of the traditional small scale farmers’ families, through environmental preservation and implementation of new farming practices in the degraded areas of their properties, offering them new income sources and good quality food.

The project’s goal is to contribute with the actions developed by the Carbon Neutral Tourism Program and with the transference of this socio-environmental technology through a training program for the traditional farming families and through increase of their self-esteem, as well as to increase awareness of the entrepreneurs involved.

Through photography the project intends to capture/generate knowledge about / with the communities involved in this program and, at the same time, evaluate and disseminate the “CO2 Neutral Tourism Certification” The idea is to make use of democratic practices, which encompasses life in its multiple dimensions ( socio-environmental, ethical and aesthetic) and the exchange of knowledge (academic and regional).

In this context, there will be two areas: the rural and urban areas. In rural areas, work will focus on technical skills, environmental, social and humanities; in the deployment of new alternative sources of income and on the “Bolsa Conservação” (a monthly grant paid to small scale farmers participating in the program). In urban areas, the program will focus on raising awareness and in the certification of new projects and empowerment of the public on neutralization / production of CO2 generated from activities related to tourism.

In order to evaluate the impacts of the CO2 Neutral Tourism Certification, the project proposes three different strategies:

1) An initial approach, focused on the impacts caused by the implementation of technology. This first approach will happen in 3 different working groups (children / teenagers, farmers/women and entrepreneurs) through the analyses of the images to be registered considered as true indicators of quality.

2) The second strategy consists in planning and implementing social and environmental indicators achieved by the executing team, which will offer a more objective look at the results

3) Finally, the project intends to organize a seminar and an evaluation of the entire process with the participation of everybody involved (farmers/women, children/teenagers, entrepreneurs and executing team) to, jointly, obtain results that will contribute in improving the technology.

The end result will lead to the preparation of material for diffusion of the socio-environmental technology of the CO2 Neutral Tourism Certification through three stages: a photographic exhibition, the publication of a book (to be distributed in schools and in government and non-governmental institutions) and a video, in addition to lectures in the partner’s institutions and a space at the site of the Patrons for Life Movement.

As you can see, there are a lot of work to be done ! We will keep you posted on other activities of this wonderful project. See you !