The Paiter Suruí Indigenous People in Defence of Their Territory: The Case of The Suruí Forest Carbon Project (PCFS)—RONDONIA/BRAZIL

The Paiter Suruí people live in the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Land, located on the borders of the states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso, in the Brazilian Amazon. The growth of agribusiness on the limits of the TI, combined with the need to generate income, has made it possible to lease indigenous lands and increase the monetary income of family units but accelerate deforestation, degradation, and the depletion of nature. As an alternative, the Suruí established partnerships with environmental movements, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and technology companies, seeking to protect the territory through sustainable economic activities, designing and implementing the Suruí Forest Carbon Project—PCFS (2007–2018), as a way to avoid the extraction of wood and ensure income generation through alternatives that were not associated with deforestation and the depletion of natural resources, aiming to protect the territory, nature, and maintain the characteristics of the traditional way of life. Despite this, the process of implementing this project has shown the weaknesses and potentialities of introducing a new form of organization in the cultural context of indigenous people. In light of these problems, this research sought to describe the trajectory experienced by the Paiter Suruí and the PCFS through case study techniques and documentary research. As a result, it was concluded that the PCFS was an important initiative for the territorial protection of the Sete de Setembro Indigenous Lands within the scope of REDD + because the deforestation rates decreased, monetary income was generated, and the knowledge and learning acquired will possibly contribute to the construction and regulation of REDD + policies in Brazil. However, the Brazilian State does not have specific legislation that addresses the issue of carbon sequestration, which left the Suruí without legal protection and weakened the signed agreements resulting in conflicts between the clans. Therefore, in 2018, some leaders of the Paiter Suruí people positioned presented several criticisms and denunciations regarding its management, alleging the loss of autonomy and the division of the people, among other issues, and requested the extinction of the project.