Farming News - FAO: Mate-the drink that keeps a forest alive
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FAO: Mate-the drink that keeps a forest alive
In southern Brazil, a drink is never just a drink. A cuia, a customary drinking vessel, filled with chimarrão, the traditional Brazilian erva-mate infusion, is passed from hand to hand, opening a conversation and grounding people in place. The cup carries more than warmth; it carries the memory of forest and the knowledge of how to live with it.
In Brazil's south-central Parana State, erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is cultivated within native forests rather than in cleared fields. This sustainable way of producing food has supported family livelihoods for generations, shaping a landscape where agriculture depends on the forest instead of replacing it. Beyond its cultural roots, erva-mate is also globally significant. Alongside Argentina and Paraguay, Brazil is among the world's leading producers and exporters, supplying regional and international markets.
Living with the forest
This traditional shaded erva-mate system is exceptional because it combines agricultural production, biodiversity conservation and social organization under intense environmental pressure.
The Araucaria Forest, part of the Atlantic Forest biome, is among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Decades of deforestation and land-use change have reduced it to a fraction of its original size.
In this context, the continuation of traditional agroforestry systems is not accidental. It is the result of daily decisions, knowledge and care accumulated over generations, and collective effort. These farming systems have kept the remaining forest ecologically functional, economically productive and socially managed, building resilience while sustaining rural livelihoods and transmitting knowledge through generations.
"This is not just a farming system; it is a way of being with the forest," says Evelyn Nimmo, Adjunct Professor at the State University of Ponta Grossa, Brazil. "Production happens within the forest, guided by agroecological principles and ancestral knowledge. Communities manage canopy cover, regeneration and diversity in ways that allow the forest to remain standing while sustaining livelihoods."
This understanding of the forest translates into concrete practices on the ground. "For a long time now, we have understood that it is necessary to preserve the Araucaria Forest, protect water sources and avoid the use of agrochemicals," says João Carlos Andrianchyk, a small-scale erva-mate producer. "We are passing this understanding on to younger people because the world will need this work if we want to continue the good life we have here."
That "good life" is rooted in continuity: the ability to live from the land without exhausting it. In communities such as Pontilhão and Paço do Meio, more than 130 families depend directly on erva-mate, often for around 70 percent of their household income.
Biodiversity as protection
The system these communities manage is neither static nor neglected. Forests are actively cared for through selective pruning and natural regeneration. Erva-mate grows alongside native fruit trees, medicinal plants and forest species, creating a multi-layered environment that supports biodiversity, protects soils and regulates water cycles.
Unlike industrial monocultures, where pests are controlled through chemical inputs, these forest-based systems rely on ecological balance. "There is a caterpillar that damages erva-mate," explains producer João Negir e Silva. "But we have gone ten to eleven years without outbreaks here. They reach neighboring areas, but they do not come here because of the biological diversity we maintain."
Here, biodiversity is not an abstract concept but a form of protection. Birds, insects and plants interact in ways that reduce vulnerability and allow production to continue without degrading the forest.
Work follows the rhythms of the ecosystem. Erva-mate leaves are harvested every three years, giving plants time to regenerate. Fruit is collected without shaking trees.
Many producers propagate seedlings themselves, maintaining native tree species such as araucaria, imbuia and canela guaicá—key components of the Araucaria Forest—and reinforcing forest structure over time.
"We survive from agriculture and from the erva-mate we grow," says rural producer Olga Wenglarek. "Everything is used, from firewood for cooking to food from our gardens. There is care involved in surviving and in making sure that those who come after us will also find a place."
Recognition with purpose
What makes this effort especially significant is that the Araucaria tree (Araucaria angustifolia), the forest's keystone species, cannot be effectively conserved through conventional seed banks. Its seeds are highly perishable and require living, functioning landscapes to survive. As a result, the long-term conservation of the Araucaria Forest depends directly on communities who keep the forest standing, productive and connected.
That responsibility extends across generations. Long before erva-mate entered commercial markets, it was part of life for Indigenous Peoples. Known as ka'a by the Guarani, the native tree has long been used in ceremonies, rituals and daily consumption.
"Erva-mate has always been part of our collective life," says cacique (a leader of Indigenous Peoples) Antonio Lima of the Rio d'Areia land. "It is not only about consumption. It is community work, with shared rules on forest care, when to harvest and how to do it. This organization is what has allowed the forest to remain standing and the community to remain united."
In this context, the recognition of the traditional shade-grown erva-mate system as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) carries particular significance. Designated in May 2025, the system became Brazil's second GIAHS, joining the Espinhaço Range Sempre-Vivas system.
"This recognition is much more than a title," says Jorge Meza, FAO Representative in Brazil. "It shows how local communities have managed forests sustainably for centuries, protecting biodiversity, generating income and maintaining strong cultural identities."
In Paraná, agriculture does not stand apart from nature. It stands with it. The forest remains not because it was left alone, but because it has been worked, cared for and shared — building resilience for people and ecosystems alike.
The story and photos can be found here:https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/mate-the-drink-that-keeps-a-forest-alive/en