The São Paulo Court granted an injunction and suspended, yesterday afternoon (11), a public hearing convened by the State for next Monday (14), in which it intended to discuss the sale of 35 agricultural research areas. The suspension request came from the Association of Scientific Researchers of the State of São Paulo (APQC). The entity argues that the State Constitution requires that the Legislative Power be consulted on any project to sell research areas.
“At least in preliminary headquarters, it is not reported that the Legislative Power approved the request for alienation proposed by the Executive Power,” noted Judge Gilsa Elena Rios by granting the measure, which has appeal, the APQC said in a statement.
The call for the public hearing took place on April 8, through the State Official Gazette. In the publication, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply (SAA) also presents, without detail, a list of public properties used for the research.
“No study has been presented by the government about the impacted of a radical decision like this, both for the environment, as these farms house remnants of native forest, let alone for scientific research,” APQC president Helena Dutra Lutgens said in the note.
Among the properties affected by the state measure is the Experimental Farm in the São Roque Tourist Resort and is a reference in Agroecology. In it were cultivated varieties of onion and organic grapes, improvements of artichoke, as well as water monitoring to the Green Belt of São Paulo.
Another unit on the list is Santa Elisa Farm, which is part of the Campinas Agronomic Institute (IAC), where studies are carried out with Macaúba.
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“In the current scenario of climate change and the need for decarbonization of the economy, especially the biofuels sector, such as SAF (aviation fuel) and biodiesel, IAC, as well as large economic groups, has been working especially in the construction of the vegetable oil production chain from this palm tree called Macauba. These are studies that generate value to the state, stimulate the economy and promote sustainability”, reinforces lutgens.
According to APQC, research with Palmeira is technical in the area that risk being sold, impairing the production of knowledge that can lead to a cultivar capable of scaling the production of macaúba, today still within ten thousand hectares.
“IAC, in partnership with Apta Regional, is launching over the next three years the first Brazilian cultivar of Macaúba for planting on scale, something that is only possible thanks to the research conducted in these farms, and the study to make this happen precisely in the area that the state wants to sell,” says the president of APQC.
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The same area of Santa Elisa also housed part of the largest coffee germplasm bank in Brazil and one of the largest in the world.
Injunction
In the decision, the judge also points out that “clear lack of identification of the affected areas, that is, whether the alienation will be total or partial; as the calculation was performed to set the sales price; how will the preservation of all scientific production of the affected institutes; which economic study that led to the alienation and whether the areas involved are under permanent protection regime”.
The injunction also cites the place chosen by SAA to hold the hearing, which would be able to house 150 people, “while the scientific community is composed of more than 600 members, who were summoned to attend the public hearing.”
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The court also determines that, in the contestation, the State presents authorization from the Legislature for sale, in addition to “specifying the areas affected with the extension, maps and its currency; whether the disposal will be total or partial; how the calculation was performed to fix the price of sales; how will the preservation of all scientific production of the affected institutes; which economic study that and if the areas involved are under permanent protection regime.
