The improvement of equipment for cassava milling at the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve (Amazônia - Brazil)

Mamirauá·Sustainable Development Reserve (MSDR), in the Amazon region, is the largest Brazilian protected várzea (flooded forest) area. This area is unique, not only because of its high level of biodiversity, but also because it is the first Brazilian conservation unit designed to integrate the preservation of fragile habitats with the sustainable development of local resident communities. Some economic alternatives have been explored by the 'Ecological Extension Program' adapted to the working conditions in the flooded forest area. One of these is related to the agricultural production, by the improvement of equipment to mill the cassava for flour fabrication. Improvements in its performance and ergonomics were necessary, built on local technology of manufacturing and observing the cultural local factors. This paper relates the work developed by a design team of the Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), local agricultural extensionists and producers. Its aim is to design new equipment, with low cost and easy technology making it possible to increase the flour production and the family income, reducing greatly the human effort and the damage to the environment.