Our approach

IPCI has worked with Brazilian partners for 25 years to develop planting, conservation, scientific research, and education projects. From the beginning, IPCI recognised that its role as an international organisation would be limited but that, through international cooperation, it could help by supporting and catalysing change led by Brazilian counterparts.

Our work has been guided by investments in basic science and silviculture. A fundamental goal of IPCI has been to expand knowledge of the genus, its varieties, its qualities, and the conditions needed for its survival and restoration. IPCI has prioritised advances in the scientific understanding of Pau-Brasil to guide and efficiently target conservation strategies and to inform policy development.

In parallel, IPCI and its partners have piloted some of the most significant replanting and restoration efforts of the past 25 years. IPCI projects have planted new seedlings in a combination of natural reserves, public spaces, and private plantations. Cooperation with local farmers and other landowners has made it possible for IPCI and its partners to test planting and growth. Whether in mixed plantations (cocoa farms in southern Bahia) or in pure plantations (Brazilian Atlantic Coast), understanding the productivity and quality of IPCI-planted tree wood is a new frontier that promises to enable the conservation and sustainable use of Pau-Brasil.

Each partner has brought its own essential knowledge and expertise to IPCI's projects. Universities and research institutions have made important discoveries about the varieties, structure, and phenology of Pau-Brasil. Brazilian government and NGO partners have produced seedlings and implemented ambitious replanting programmes. Throughout, IBAMA and other government agencies have been valued partners that have supported IPCI's efforts and provided technical expertise that has made it possible for IPCI projects to follow applicable legal and regulatory frameworks and to gain invaluable knowledge about the status of the genus and opportunities for sustainable practices.

From its beginning, IPCI has also worked to promote musical education and, through that education, awareness of the value of forest species. IPCI member shops offer bows to their students which are made of alternative materials as a strategy for minimising demand for endangered resources. Various IPCI and partner activities have been developed to inform musicians, teachers, and students about bow-related matters and sustainability.