Belém Amáral Viera

Brazilian environmentalist who pioneered sustainable agriculture in the Amazon region

Belém Amáral Viera (1922-2001) was a visionary Brazilian agronomist whose work transformed agricultural practices in the Amazon basin. Born in Pará state, she witnessed the destructive impact of monoculture plantations and pioneered agroforestry systems that combined traditional indigenous knowledge with modern techniques. Her 1953 project in Santarém demonstrated that mixed-crop systems could triple yields while preventing soil erosion, a model later adopted by UN FAO programs.

In 1960, she founded the Amazon Sustainability Institute, training over 3,000 farmers in permaculture methods. Her research on nitrogen-fixing plants led to the development of the 'Viera System,' which became standard practice in tropical agriculture. Her 1968 book Forest Farms of the Future was translated into 12 languages and influenced global organic farming movements.

Viera's 1970s campaigns against deforestation led to Brazil's first environmental protection laws, including the 1973 Amazon Conservation Act. She collaborated with indigenous communities to create the first protected agro-ecological reserves, preserving 1.2 million hectares of rainforest. Her work is chronicled in the documentary Roots of Resistance (2005) and the Smithsonian Institution's digital archive (si.edu/amazon-archives).

Less known are her efforts to integrate women into agricultural leadership roles, establishing the first female farmers' cooperative in 1965. Her 1972 report to the UN Conference on the Human Environment laid the groundwork for modern sustainability frameworks. The Belém Prize for Environmental Leadership (established 1998) continues her mission, with past winners including Wangari Maathai.