Pontal do Paranapanema, in Western São Paulo State, is a well-known region in Brazil mainly due to the land conflicts mobilized by the MST (Movement of Landless Rural Workers). This land reform movement has changed the rural landscape, where small forest fragments are today surrounded by human settlements. The São Paulo State Forest Code foresees that these settlements, as well as any rural property, must keep 20% of its area covered by natural vegetation. This area, so-called Legal Reserve, must be restored if their original vegetation had been removed or impacted. Thus, this research was carried out in Santa Zelia settlement, in Pontal do Paranapanema, located within 15 hectares of Legal Reserve. Six families of this settlement were involved in an agroforestry project, using temporary Taungya agroforestry modules, where native trees were intercropped with annual crops. Two variables had been used for the economic evaluation of the agricultural production in the area: Liquid Present Value (VPL) and Benefit-Cost Ratio (RB/C). The results show positives values for all the analyzed families, leading to the conclusion that Agroforestry Systems can be adopted in the recovery of areas of Legal Reserve in rural properties. Its economic viability will mainly depend on intensifying the intercropping and satisfactory market prices for the annual crops.
Agroforestry system; legal reserve; economic evaluation
