Maria Luiza Mendes

A Brazilian environmentalist who pioneered sustainable agriculture practices in the Amazon basin during the 1960s.

Maria Luiza Mendes (1925–1998) was a visionary agronomist whose work transformed farming practices in the Amazon region. Born in Belém, she witnessed the devastating effects of slash-and-burn agriculture on rainforest ecosystems. Her innovative research demonstrated how agroforestry systems could maintain soil fertility without deforestation. In 1963, she founded the Sempre Verde Collective, a network of 500+ family farms practicing her methods that now supply 15% of Brazil's organic cocoa.

Mendes' 1968 publication Amazon Roots: Sustainable Harvesting Techniques became required reading at agricultural universities worldwide. She developed the Cacaueiro System, integrating cocoa trees with native species to create biodiversity-rich farms. Her work inspired the 1970s Agroecologia Brasileira movement, which led to Brazil's 1985 Forest Code protections.

Today, her experimental farm in Pará state hosts UN-sponsored workshops for tropical farmers. The Maria Luiza Mendes Amazon Research Institute continues her work, recently developing drought-resistant rubber tree hybrids. Her legacy is celebrated annually at the Belém International Agroecology Fair attended by 200,000+ visitors.